Metabolically Healthy Obesity - Is it Really a Distinct Subtype?

The presence of excess body fat with absence of markers of metabolic syndrome is referred to as metabolically healthy obesity. It is thought to be a distinct subtype and by the very name denotes a type of obesity found to be associated with less morbidity. A literature review was undertaken to find out if it is true. Over the years, it is known that 40% of this distinct group goes on to develop the classical features of metabolic syndrome associated with increased morbidity as compared to people with normal weight and no metabolic syndrome. Due to absence of the features of metabolic syndrome, therapeutic management of this group should be no different than the conventional metabolically unhealthy obesity group.