Fat and fat-free mass as important determinants of body composition assessment in relation to sarcopenic obesity.

Background: Fat and fat-free/muscle mass and their ratio reflecting the possible presence of obesity or sarcopenic obesity are important in assessing body composition. Objective: The aim of the work was to assess the use of fat and fat-free mass and their ratio in the diagnosis of sarcopenic obesity, as well as correlations with selected anthropometric, somatic and biochemical parameters and indices. Material and Methods: The object of the study was a group of 201 women (20-68 aged) randomly selected from the population without the presence of a serious disease or without the use of medication. Body composition was assessed by the MFBIA method (InBody 720). We used the ratio of fat to fat-free mass (FM/FFM) to define sarcopenic obesity. A Biolis 24i Premium biochemical analyzer was used to determine biochemical parameters. Results: Using FM and FFM values and their mutual ratio, we identified women with a healthy body weight (28.9%), obese women (58.2%) and women with sarcopenic obesity (12.9%). Values of anthropometric parameters (body weight, BMI, WC, WHR, WHtR, BAI, FM (kg, %), FMI, VFA, FFM (kg), FFMI, SMM (kg), SMMI, ICW, ECW, TBW, CHC, HC), with the exception of FFM (%), SMM (%) and TBW (%), increased significantly with increasing FM/FFM values, so the highest values were found in subjects with sarcopenic obesity. In the case of biochemical parameters, with increasing FM/FFM values, the values of T-CH, LDL, TAG, GLU, hs-CRP, UA, systolic and diastolic blood pressure also increased, so the highest values were again found in women with sarcopenic obesity. HDL values, on the contrary, decreased. FM/FFM had the strongest positive association with the proportion of fat mass on body weight (r=0.989), then with FMI (r=0.980), FM (r=0.965), VFA (r=0.938), WHtR (r=0.937), BMI (r=0.922), WC (r=0.901. We found the strongest negative association with the proportion of FFM on body weight (r=-0.989), the proportion of total body water (r=-0.988) and the proportion of skeletal muscle mass (r=-0.987). Conclusions: FM/FFM correlates excellently with FM and VFA and can be implemented to diagnose obesity. In order to comprehensively evaluate the state of health and body composition, the proportionality of not only fat, but also fat-free/muscle mass should be analyzed, because it turns out that a negative impact on health and survival is associated not only with an excessive amount of adipose tissue, but also with a lower muscle mass.

Cross sectional study of vitamin B12 supplementation in Slovak and Czech vegans.

Background: The number of vegans in the world is growing and in Slovakia and the Czech Republic they make up 1% of the population. Vegan diet excludes all foods of animal origin and vegans who do not use vitamin B12 supplements are at risk of the vitamin B12 deficiency. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine what proportion of Czech and Slovak vegans use vitamin B12 supplements regularly, irregularly or not at all and what is their supplemental cobalamin intake. Materials and methods: The research involved 1337 self-identified vegans from Slovakia and the Czech Republic who were interviewed using the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) method. Participants were recruited by posts in veganism-themed social media groups. Results: Out of 1337 vegans 55.5% supplemented cobalamin regularly, 32.54% irregularly and 11.97% were not supplementing. Rate of not supplementing individuals was 5.04% higher in Slovaks than in Czechs. Short-term vegans had a significantly higher rate of not supplementing individuals (17.99%) compared to medium-term (8.37%) and long-term vegans (7.50%). Mean weekly cobalamin intake from supplements was 2938.34±2566.60 µg in regularly supplementing vegans compared to 1630.31±1949.27 µg in irregularly supplementing vegans, particularly due to the lower weekly supplementation frequency among irregularly (2.93) compared to regularly supplementing vegans (5.27). Conclusions: The rate of supplementation in Slovak and particularly Czech vegans was higher than in other countries. The number of not supplementing individuals was significantly higher among short-term vegans, indicating that there is still a need for education on the importance of adequate and regular cobalamin supplementation, especially in new vegans. Our results support the hypothesis that the reason for higher rate of cobalamin deficiency in irregularly compared to regularly supplementing vegans is the lower cobalamin intake caused by lower supplementation frequency.

Diagnosis of obesity and evaluation of the risk of premature death (ABSI) based on body mass index and visceral fat area.

Background: Body mass index (BMI) is the most commonly used parameter for identifying obesity. However, it is a tool that can distort the diagnosis as misdiagnose. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the BMI and visceral fat area (VFA) and to determine the presence of obesity in a group of young people and to assess their suitability for use together with other parameters indicating excessive body fat and increased risk of non-communicable disease and premature death. Material and Methods: The study group consisted of 339 university students. We used InBody 720 for diagnosis body composition. The following body composition parameters were measured - BMI, waist circumference (WC), fat-free mass (FFM), VFA, percentage of body fat (PBF). Results: The BMI values by gender indicate overweight in the male group compared to females (25.2 ± 3.1 and 22.2 ± 3.4 kg.m-2, respectively; p<0.001). Women had higher values of VFA than men (70.1 ± 26.4 and 56.2 ± 28.3 cm2, respectively; p<0.001). Although the group of men had an increased average BMI, which allows us to talk about overweight, the risk of premature death was low. In the case of the male group, a high proportion of fat-free mass had a major impact on BMI. Lower values of fat parameters also contributed to the low risk of premature death. We found a nonlinear relationship in the BMI assessment in terms of premature risk of death. Higher values of the premature death risk were found in the subgroups of underweight and obesity. In the case of the VFA and ABSI relationship a linear increase in the curve and the risk of premature death was observed. Conclusions: In order to evaluate the presence of overweight or obesity it is necessary to use not only BMI but other diagnostic elements for this purpose. The components of the body composition need to be evaluated comprehensively. Evidence of this is the risk of premature death, where optimal BMI values may pose an increased risk and vice versa.

Changes of body composition among university students depending on the consumption frequency of selected bakery products.

Background. Bakery products such as bread, rolls, croissants and others are an important part of eating habits. Recently, their consumption has been associated with an undesirable increase and prevalence of overweight or obesity.Objective. The aim of the work was to analyze the influence of the consumption frequency of selected types of bread / bakery products on anthropometric parameters in a group of university students.Material and Methods. The group was composed of 120 volunteers consuming different types of bread / bakery products with different consumption frequencies during the week. The anthropometric parameters were measured by InBody 720. To obtain information on the frequency of consumption we used the questionnaire method.Results. The results suggest that in most cases it is not the type of product that is decisive, but its quantity consumed and frequency of consumption supported by low daily physical activity, resp. sedentary lifestyle. We found similar results of the influence of the consumption frequency on anthropometric parameters for all types of bread. Low levels of physical activity, basal metabolism and consumption of selected types of bakery products (wheat bread, wheat rolls, sweet pastries and gluten-free variants) can cause an increase in visceral as well as total body fat, weight gain, BMI, at the expense of fat-free mass. Our results showed that the groups of participants who did not consume a certain type of bread at all, rarely or 1 to 3 times a week, showed higher values of the examined parameters (BMI, body weight, body fat percentage, WHR) compared to the group which consumed a particular type of bakery products on average 4 to 7 times a week. The parameter´s values were largely influenced by the levels of physical activity.Conclusions. Based on the results it is possible to assume that if the bakery products are the part of a balanced diet with regard to the individual energy needs, it should not be the main cause of overweight / obesity in humans.

Blood Concentration of Macro- and Microelements in Women Who Are Overweight/Obesity and Their Associations with Serum Biochemistry.

Risk elements in blood matrices can affect human health status through associations with biomarkers at multiple levels. The aim of this study was to analyze 15 macro- and microelements in the blood serum of women with overweight (BMI of ≥25 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI of ≥30 kg/m2) and to examine possible associations with biochemical, liver enzymatic parameters, and markers of oxidative stress. Based on the power calculation, the study involved women (in the postmenopausal stage) with overweight (n = 26) and obesity (n = 22), aged between 50-65 years. Multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to measure body composition parameters. Concentrations of elements were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, and Hg was measured using cold-vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy. Individuals with obesity, as indicated by a higher BMI, percentage of body fat, and visceral fat area, had elevated serum levels of Ca, Mg, Fe, Al, Sr, Pb, and Hg. Concentrations of Al, Cu, K, Sb, Zn, and Pb significantly affected biochemical and liver function markers in women with overweight or obesity. Elements such as Cu and Al were associated with increased total cholesterol. The correlation analysis between total antioxidant status and Cu, Al, and Ni confirmed associations in both groups. Our findings underscore the importance of addressing excess body weight and obesity in relation to risk elements. The results of the research could be beneficial in identifying potential targets for the treatment or prevention of comorbidities in people with obesity.

The Use of Different Anthropometric Indices to Assess the Body Composition of Young Women in Relation to the Incidence of Obesity, Sarcopenia and the Premature Mortality Risk.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the stratification of young women based on the assessment of body composition according to several currently recommended anthropometric indices and parameters, as well as the presence of obesity, sarcopenic obesity and the risk of premature death. Three hundred and three young Caucasian women aged 18-25 years were included in the cross-sectional observational study. For the purposes of the study, we used the bioelectrical impedance method and applied the obtained data to calculate indices defining obesity, sarcopenic obesity and premature mortality risk (ABSI z-score). We found significant differences between indicators of total and abdominal obesity when determining the rate of risk of premature death and diagnosis of obesity. Our results also suggest that FMI and FM/FFM indices correlate excellently with fat mass and visceral adipose tissue, better than BMI. Even in the case of abdominal obesity, FMI appears to correlate relatively strongly, more so than BMI. The results of the study support the opinion that in the assessment of body composition and health status, the presence of obesity (sarcopenic obesity) and the risk of premature death, anthropometric parameters and indices focusing not only on body weight (BMI, ABSI), but also on the proportionality and distribution of fat (WC, WHR, WHtR, VFA) and muscle tissue (FFMI, SMMI, FM/FFM ratio) should be used.