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Ever since the world has been grappling with the problem of obesity, it has been considered a bane to be obese. But new research are increasingly questioning the habit of bracketing all obese persons as unhealthy. Read on to find out why this is so.

Dr. Jussi Naukkarinen, a research scientist at the University of Helsinki carried out a study in Finland to find out what differentiates an obese individual from a metabolically healthy obese person. He, along with his colleagues, carried out a study on 16 pairs of identical twins (six male and ten female) of which one twin was obese while the other was not. The average weight difference between the two twins was around 40 pounds. The researchers chose the twins to understand the effect of genetics, environment and other factors in the development of obesity.

The 16 pairs of twins were divided into two groups. In the first group, the obese twin had higher cholesterol levels, higher blood pressure, impaired sugar and insulin levels and a lot of fat deposition in the liver. In the second group, although the BMI of the obese twin was much higher, the other parameters remained similar to that of the lean twin. The researchers examined the fat tissue of all the participants.

The examination threw up some interesting findings. The researchers observed that the number of adipose cells present in the subcutaneous fat tissue of the healthy obese twins was 11 percent more than the adipose cells present in the lean twin. However, in case of the unhealthy twins, the number of adipose cells was 8 percent less than the number of adipose cells present in their lean twin irrespective of the fact that the fat content in their body was much higher.

The researchers also found that the fat cells in the unhealthy obese were swollen, their mitochondria were not functioning properly and the cells were surrounded by macrophages, white blood cells that are part of the immune system and point to the presence of disease.

The researchers have opined that the proper functioning of the mitochondria is imperative for the regeneration of new fat cells. In the unhealthy obese twins in the study, as the mitochondrial functioning was impaired, they were incapable of regenerating. This accounted for the lower number of fat cells in these individuals. On the contrary, in the healthy obese twins, the mitochondria were found be functioning to their optimal capacity and new fat cells were being regenerated. So, the excess fat was accommodated in the new adipose cells in the subcutaneous tissue without spilling out and moving to other tissues.

According to Dr. Naukkarinen, anti-inflammatory medicines protect the mitochondria from damage. The cells are able to convert glucose into energy and do not show insulin resistance. Excessive consumption of alcohol and eating a fatty diet which creates spikes in the levels of glucose and insulin in the blood has an opposite action on the cells.

Metabolically healthy obesity is a transitional phase

Other researchers have expressed a view that the metabolically healthy obesity is a transition phase before the patient falls in the category of being an unhealthy obese person. In other words, this would describe newly obese people, who will remain healthy if they begin losing weight, but would become unhealthy if they remained obese.

Read More: Babies Raised On Formula Who Start Eating Solid Foods At Four Months More Likely To Become Obese

To support their view, they say that metabolically healthy obese are generally young individuals. As they age, they become unhealthy. Only one- third of metabolically healthy obese continue to remain so throughout their life.

On the basis of these studies, many people feel that BMI is not an accurate indicator of a person’s health status. Other parameters should be defined to find out persons who are at a higher risk of developing diseases like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. However, all said and done, the bottom-line remains that all obese individuals, metabolically healthy or not, should try to lose weight as it is difficult to say who among them runs a high risk of developing diseases.

  • “The ‘Healthy Obese’ and Their Healthy Fat Cells,” by Anahad O’Connor, published in the New York Times on October 9, 2013, accessed on November 24, 2013
  • “You CAN be fat and fit: Scientists say that 'healthy obesity' exists and that physical fitness is more important than BMI,” by Fiona Macrae, published on August 31, 2013 in the Daily Mail, accessed on November 25, 2013.
  • Photo courtesy of Steve Baker by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/littlebiglens/8295846970/
  • Photo courtesy of Steve Baker by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/littlebiglens/9973428966/