Association between non-obesity and health state among young Japanese male university students.
Sumiko Shiba, Akiko Shiba
PMID 32082034WHAT IT FOUND
Young men with normal body weight showed poor fitness and diet.
Higher aerobic capacity linked to better insulin sensitivity and lower triglycerides, independent of body size. Daily activity correlated with lower resting heart rate. Normal weight did not guarantee metabolic health in this small group of students.
Key findings
01Higher maximum oxygen consumption was associated with lower insulin resistance and lower triglyceride levels, regardless of body mass index or waist circumference.
02Daily physical activity measured by monitor was significantly related to lower resting heart rate, but not to aerobic capacity or insulin resistance.
03Most participants reported poor dietary habits, and a quarter were physically inactive, despite having a normal body mass index.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample size was very small, with only 20 participants. All subjects were male university students studying rehabilitation, which may bias their health knowledge and behaviors. The study design cannot prove that improving fitness causes better metabolic health, only that they are linked. Results may not apply to women, older adults, or people outside Japan.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a normal body mass index indicates good metabolic health. This study found that young men with normal weight could still have poor fitness, bad diets, and signs of insulin resistance. Weight alone is an insufficient marker of health risk.