Association between Indices of Body Composition and Abnormal Metabolic Phenotype in Normal-Weight Chinese Adults

Lili Xia, Fen Dong, Haiying Gong, Guodong Xu, Ke Wang, Fen Liu, Li Pan, Ling Zhang, Yuxiang Yan, Herbert Gaisano, Yan He and Guangliang Shan
Additional contact information
Lili Xia: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, No. 10, Xitoutiao, You’anmen Wai, Fengtai District, Beijing 100069, China
Fen Dong: China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Cherry Garden East Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
Haiying Gong: Department of Chronic Disease, Beijing Fangshan District Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Yuehua North Street, Fangshan District, Beijing 102446, China
Guodong Xu: China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Cherry Garden East Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
Ke Wang: Birth Defects Monitoring Center, West China Second University Hospital, People South Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu 610041, China
Fen Liu: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, No. 10, Xitoutiao, You’anmen Wai, Fengtai District, Beijing 100069, China
Li Pan: Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 3, Dongdan, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100005, China
Ling Zhang: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, No. 10, Xitoutiao, You’anmen Wai, Fengtai District, Beijing 100069, China
Yuxiang Yan: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, No. 10, Xitoutiao, You’anmen Wai, Fengtai District, Beijing 100069, China
Herbert Gaisano: Departments of Medicine and Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
Yan He: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, No. 10, Xitoutiao, You’anmen Wai, Fengtai District, Beijing 100069, China
Guangliang Shan: Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 3, Dongdan, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100005, China

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: We aimed to determine the association of indices of body composition with abnormal metabolic phenotype, and to examine whether the strength of association was differentially distributed in different age groups in normal-weight Chinese adults. A total of 3015 normal-weight adults from a survey of Chinese people encompassing health and basic physiological parameters was included in this cross-sectional study. We investigated the association of body composition measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis and conventional body indices with metabolically unhealthy normal-weight (MUHNW) adults, divided by age groups and gender. Associations were assessed by multiple logistic regression analysis. We found abnormal metabolism in lean Chinese adults to be associated with higher adiposity indices (body mass index, BMI), waist circumference, and percentage body fat), lower skeletal muscle %, and body water %. Body composition was differentially distributed in age groups within the metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW)/MUHNW groups. The impact of factors related to MUHNW shows a decreasing trend with advancing age in females and disparities of factors (BMI, body fat %, skeletal muscle %, and body water %) associated with the MUHNW phenotype in the elderly was noticed. Those factors remained unchanged in males throughout the age range, while the association of BMI, body fat %, skeletal muscle %, and body water % to MUHNW attenuated and grip strength emerged as a protective factor in elderly females. These results suggest that increased adiposity and decreased skeletal muscle mass are associated with unfavorable metabolic traits in normal-weight Chinese adults, and that MUHNW is independent of BMI, while increased waist circumference appears to be indicative of an abnormal metabolic phenotype in elderly females.

Keywords: body composition; body fat; skeletal muscle; metabolism; metabolically unhealthy normal-weight (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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