Abstract

Normal weight obesity is the condition of having normal body weight, but with a high body fat percentage, leading to some of the same health risks as obesity.

Classification

The body mass index (BMI) does not capture information about percentage body fat (PBF), which is a better predictor of risk due to obesity.

The term "metabolically obese normal weight" (MONW) refers to people with normal weight and BMI, but who display some metabolic characteristics that may increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome, in the same way as obesity. MONW subjects have excess visceral fat, and are predisposed to insulin resistance, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. These people show benefits from energy restriction and weight loss, for example a 4- to 12-week period of diet and exercise.

Some studies have suggested that the main factor which explains the metabolic abnormalities in MONW individuals is fat distribution. On the basis of these studies, a scoring method has been proposed to identify MONW individuals, based on the presence of associated diseases or biochemical abnormalities related to insulin resistance.