Metabolically healthy obesity: What is the role of sedentary behaviour?

Abstract

ObjectiveThe role of sedentary behaviour in metabolically healthy obesity is unknown. We examined cross-sectional differences in television viewing time across metabolic and obesity phenotypes, hypothesizing that healthy obese individuals spend less time viewing television than their unhealthy counterparts. MethodsA nationally representative sample of 4931 older adults in England (mean age 65.1; SD=8.9years) was drawn from the 2008/9 wave of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Average weekly television viewing time was derived from two questions about weekday and weekend viewing. Obesity was defined as body mass index≥30kg/m2, and metabolically healthy as having <2 metabolic abnormalities (low HDL-cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, hyperglycaemia, high inflammation). ResultsAfter adjusting for covariates including chronic illness, functional limitations and physical activity, mean weekly viewing times were 4.7 (95% confidence interval 2.9, 6.5), 5.8 (2.5, 9.0) and 7.8 (5.7, 9.8)h higher in unhealthy non-obese, healthy obese, and unhealthy obese groups respectively, compared to the healthy non-obese group (p for heterogeneity <0.001). ConclusionsA common type of leisure-time sedentary behaviour varies across metabolic and obesity phenotypes. However, healthy obesity is not explained through differences in leisure-time sedentary behaviour.