The Role of Proteins to Help Prevent Sacopenic Obesity

What is Sarcopenic Obesity?

Sarcopenic obesity is obesity and sarcopenia combined. Sarcopenia is defined as a progressive skeletal muscle disorder operationalised by low levels of muscle strength and muscle quantity, and with physical performance as an indicator of severity. Obesity is a chronic, systemic disease defined as a pathologically increased fat mass, is associated with an increased health risk. It is estimated that obesity is to be around 12.6% in men and 33.5% in women. However, these rates significantly increase with age, with 48% in men and 27.5% in women for those aged 80 years and above. Sarcopenic obesity can affect a wide range of individuals due to many factors such as age, lifestyle, and underlying health conditions. It can contribute to various health issues, including mobility problems, metabolic disorders, bone health and functional decline.

Monitoring Sarcopenic Obesity

It is important to monitor sarcopenic obesity due to the many health concerns it carries like functional decline, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease. It can be monitored through a combination of medical assessments, body composition measurements and functional tests. Monitoring sarcopenic obesity is crucial for identifying and managing its health risks, promoting functional independence and improving the overall well being of affected individuals.