Metabolic risk factors in Korean adolescents with severe obesity: Results from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (K-NHANES) 2007–2014

Aims: To investigate the metabolic risk factors according to the degree of obesity in Korean adolescents. Methods: Among 7197 subjects aged 10–18 years who participated in the 2007–2014 K-NHANES, 1326 adolescents (M = 744, F = 582) with age and sex specific body mass index (BMI) ≥85th percentile were included. These adolescents with obesity were classified as: overweight, obesity, severe obesity, and extreme severe obesity. For assessing central obesity, the subjects were further-classified as: normal waist obese, abdominal obesity I, abdominal obesity II and abdominal obesity III. Results: The prevalence of overweight, obesity, severe obesity and extreme severe obesity were 5.6%, 6.2%, 5.9% and 0.9% in Korean adolescents. With increasing levels of obese category, the incidence of metabolic risk factors such as HDL-C < 40 mg/dL or <50 mg/dL in girls older than 16 years-old (20.2%, 18.5%, 34.4%, 43.6%, P <.0001), TG ≥ 150 mg/dL (15.3%, 16.7%, 26.5%, 30.9%, P <.003), HbA1C ≥ 5.8% (12.8%, 13.5%, 21.9%, 42.2%, P <.006), SBP ≥ 130 mg/dL (3.5%, 6.4%, 8.1%, 19.5%, P <.003) significantly increased. With increasing levels of central obese category, the incidence of metabolic risk factors such as HDL-C < 40 mg/dL or <50 mg/dL in girls older than 16 years-old (20.2%, 26.2%, 37.9%, 35.7%, P <.0007), TG ≥ 150 mg/dL (16.1%, 21.2%, 25.8%, 29.8%, P <.004), glucose ≥ 100 mg/dL (7.7%, 7.3%, 11.7%, 17.4%, P <.009) and SBP ≥ 130 mg/dL (5.1%, 7.1%, 3.0%, 13.9%, P <.002) significantly increased. Conclusion: Adolescents with severe obesity have more metabolic risk factors compared to adolescents with less severe degree of obesity.