title: Disability, Physical Inactivity, and Impaired Health-Related Quality of Life Are Not Different in Metabolically Healthy vs. Unhealthy Obese Subjects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity represents a major health hazard, affecting morbidity, psychological status, physical functionality, quality of life, and mortality. The aim of the present study was to explore the differences between metabolically healthy (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy (MUO) obese subjects with regard to physical activity, disability, and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL).
  
  
  METHODS
  All subjects underwent a multidimensional evaluation, encompassing the assessment of body composition, metabolic biomarkers and inflammation, physical activity level (IPAQ questionnaire), disability (TSD-OC test), and HR-QoL (SF-36 questionnaire). MHO and MUO were defined based on the absence or the presence of the metabolic syndrome, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  253 subjects were included (54 men and 199 women; age: 51.7 ± 12.8 vs. 50.3 ± 11.7 years,p= 0.46; BMI: 38.1 ± 5.7 vs. 38.9 ± 6.7 kg/m²,p= 0.37). No significant difference was observed in body composition. There was no difference between MHO and MUO considering inflammation (hs-CRP: 6517.1 ± 11,409.9 vs. 5294.1 ± 5612.2 g/L;p= 0.37), physical inactivity (IPAQ score below 3000 METs-min/week in 77.6% of MHO vs. 80% of MUO subjects;p= 0.36), obesity-related disability (TSD-OC score > 33%, indicating a high level of obesity-related disability, in 20.2% of MHO vs. 26.5% of MUO subjects;p= 0.28), and the HR-QoL (SF-36 total score: 60 ± 20.8 vs. 62.8 ± 18.2,p= 0.27).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The metabolic comorbidity and the impairment of functional ability and psycho-social functioning may have a different timing in the natural history of obesity. Alterations in the physical activity level and mobility disabilities may precede the onset of metabolic abnormalities. (Trial registration 2369 prot 166/12-registered 23 February 2012; Amendment 223/14-registered 13 February 2014).
authors.affiliation: Department Experimental Medicine-Medical Physiopathology, Food Science and Endocrinology Section, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy. lorenzomaria.donini@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Lorenzo M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Donini
authors.affiliation: Department Experimental Medicine-Medical Physiopathology, Food Science and Endocrinology Section, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy. dottgianlucamerola@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Merola
authors.affiliation: Department Experimental Medicine-Medical Physiopathology, Food Science and Endocrinology Section, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy. Eleonora.poggiogalle@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Poggiogalle
authors.affiliation: Department Experimental Medicine-Medical Physiopathology, Food Science and Endocrinology Section, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy. carla.lubrano@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lubrano
authors.affiliation: Department Experimental Medicine-Medical Physiopathology, Food Science and Endocrinology Section, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy. lucio.gnessi@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gnessi
authors.affiliation: Department Experimental Medicine-Medical Physiopathology, Food Science and Endocrinology Section, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy. Stefania.mariani@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, Foro Italico University of Rome, Rome 00197, Italy. silvia.migliaccio@uniroma4.it.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Migliaccio
authors.affiliation: Department Experimental Medicine-Medical Physiopathology, Food Science and Endocrinology Section, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy. andrea.lenzi@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lenzi
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity; D011788:Quality of Life; D057185:Sedentary Behavior
keywords: disability; metabolically healthy obesity; physical activity; quality of life