14 Nov 2025 • A recent meta-analysis including 19,119 children showed that those classified as metabolically healthy obese (MHO) had more than a two-fold higher overall risk of health disorders compared with metabolically healthy peers of normal weight (OR 2.88).

Odds were higher for diabetes (OR 1.79), carotid intima–media thickening (OR 2.11), hypertension (OR 3.98), and left ventricular hypertrophy (OR 3.37). Evidence of adverse cardiac remodeling was also notable, including concentric remodeling (OR 2.01), eccentric hypertrophy (OR 6.36), and concentric hypertrophy (OR 17.07). Even kidney damage risk increased modestly (OR 1.05).

These findings reinforce that “metabolically healthy” obesity is not benign, and early monitoring and intervention remain essential in this pediatric population.

Source: Dovepress | Read Full Story