The Cameroonian paradox: Overweight and Obesity the same metabolically healthy individuals

The Cameroonian paradox: Overweight and Obesity the same metabolically healthy individuals

 Overweight and obesity contributes to reduced life expectancy, compromise quality of life, and disabilities with obesity with obesity becoming one of the major public health concerns because it is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease ,hypertension, dyslipidemia and certain types of cancer, which may lead to increased mortality.

However, a proportion of the obese individuals described as” Metabolically healthy obese (MHO)” display a lower risk for metabolic complication than expected by their degree of body mass index. The clinical relevance phenotype is controversial and the relationships between weight change and development of cardio-metabolic risk factors is unknown. This study aim at evaluating the metabolic profile of overweight and obese individuals in Cameroonians population. Metabolic and socio demographic characteristics of 934 overweight and obese individuals were examined. Socio-demographic and anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, glycaemia and lipid profile were determined.

The relation age, sex, educational level and metabolic profile was established. Results of the present study indicated that majority of participant were overweight and obese with a BMI ranging from 25 to over 40kg\m^2. Of this population 70% had normal systolic artery pressure (90-130) and 95% blood glucose levels.Khi-2 analysis showed that systolic artery pressure and triglyceride levels depend on age when glucose blood, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL level do not. At the same time, systolic artery pressure and glycaemia are related to BMI while total cholesterol, tryglycerides, HDL and LDL do not. The results of this study confirmed the fact that metabolically health obese is present within the Cameroonian population.