Introduction:

Obesity, globally considered a pandemic, is associated with various complications, particularly cardiometabolic ones. However, there is a group of obese individuals who do not exhibit these alterations; they are known as metabolically healthy obese (MHO). The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of MHO and assess the variables that influence this prevalence.

Methodology:

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 68,884 obese individuals to determine the prevalence of MHO using three different criteria. Additionally, the association of MHO prevalence with certain sociodemographic variables (age, gender, social class, and educational level) and healthy habits (physical activity, Mediterranean diet, and smoking) was analyzed.

Results:

The prevalence varies depending on the criterion used: having no components of metabolic syndrome (MS), having one, or up to two components of MS, Globally estimated at 21.6%, 56.6%, and 79.3%, respectively. All the analyzed variables influence the prevalence of MHO, particularly age, physical activity, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet.

Conclusion:

The prevalence of MHO varies significantly depending on the criterion applied. The MHO profile is typically a young woman belonging to more favorable socioeconomic levels, a non-smoker, with high adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and who regularly engages in physical activity.

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