Risk factors, cutoff points, and definition of metabolically healthy/unhealthy obesity in children and adolescents: A scoping review of the literature

Abstract

Diagnosis of metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and its definition do not have universal criteria in the pediatric age group. Hence, this scoping review aims to identify the components, the cutoff points, and the definition of MHO in children and adolescents. A comprehensive, systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases. A consensus-based definition of MHO was developed through a Delphi process involving an international panel of 23 experts. This review included a total of 63 non-randomized studies, published between 2007 and 2022. According to our consensus (>= 80 agreement), the proposed definition for MHO included the following components: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol >40 mg/dl (or >1.03 mmol/l), triglycerides <= 150 mg/dl (or <= 1.7 mmol/l), fasting plasma glucose <100 mg/dl (or <5.6 mmol/l), a measure of insulin, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure <= 90th percentile. Therefore, MHO was defined as the absence of the above metabolic risk factors; and those children and adolescents with one or more criteria were considered as metabolically unhealthy. A universal definition of MHO will allow comparisons between studies in the field of childhood obesity and can be useful in clinical practice.