Metabolomics Reveals Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Obese Individuals Differ in their Response to a Caloric Challenge.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if metabolically healthy obese (MHO) individuals have a different metabolic response to a standardized diet compared to lean healthy (LH) and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO) individuals.


METHODS
Thirty adults (35-70 yrs) were classified as LH, MHO, and MUO according to anthropometric and clinical measurements. Participants consumed a standardized high calorie meal (~1330 kcal). Blood glucose and insulin were measured at fasting, and 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min postprandially. Additional blood samples were collected for the targeted analysis of amino acids (AAs) and derivatives, and fatty acids (FAs).


RESULTS
The postprandial response (i.e., area under the curve, AUC) for serum glucose and insulin were similar between MHO and LH individuals, and significantly lower than MUO individuals (p < 0.05). Minor differences were found in postprandial responses for AAs between MHO and MUO individuals, while three polyunsaturated FAs (linoleic acid, γ-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid) showed smaller changes in serum after the meal in MHO individuals compared to MUO. Fasting levels for various AAs (notably branched-chain AA) and FAs (e.g., saturated myristic and palmitic acids) were found to correlate with glucose and insulin AUC.


CONCLUSIONS
MHO individuals show preserved insulin sensitivity and a greater ability to adapt to a caloric challenge compared to MUO individuals.
Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Flavia
F
Badoud
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Karen P
KP
Lam
Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Maude
M
Perreault
Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Michael A
MA
Zulyniak
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Philip
P
Britz-McKibbin
Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
David M
DM
Mutch
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000494:pharmacology; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D062407:Meals; D055432:Metabolomics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D000067329:Obesity, Metabolically Benign / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism
D000596:Amino Acids; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D005227:Fatty Acids