Expert highlights need for more research to better understand sarcopenic obesity

Reviewed by James Ives, M.Psych. (Editor)Nov 7 2018

A new condition, that occurs in the presence of both sarcopenia and obesity and termed as "sarcopenic obesity", and that describes under the same phenotype the increase in body fat mass deposition, and the reduction in lean mass and muscle strength.

Recently, Professor Marwan El Ghoch from the Department of Nutrition & Dieitics at Beirut Arab University - Lebanon, in a short communication recently published in The Open Nutrition Journal highlighted that many uncertainties still surround the condition of sarcopenic obesity in terms of definition, adverse health effects and clinical management via three important questions:

• 1)What is the definition of sarcopenic obesity?

  2)Is sarcopenic obesity harmful to health?

  3)Is this condition worth treating?

In this direction he suggested a flow chart regard the best approach to the study the sarcopenic obesity, and emphasized some crucial aspects that future research should take into account in order to avoid bias and misinterpretations.

Finally Professor El Ghoch, concluded by underlining that the study of sarcopenic obesity should be considered a scientific and clinical priority, as reported by two important bodies: the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) and the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO).​