Aim:

Obesity degree is the ratio of current weight to standart weight of the individual. Metabolic age (MA) compares the individual’s basal metabolic rate to an average for the individual’s age group. In this study, considering the close association of obesity with chronic diseases, the aim is to evaluate the association between obesity degree and chronological age (CA) as well as MA and to derive a more descriptive index related to age.

Materials and Methods:

In this study, 287 adults between 18 and 79 years of age [10 underweight, 86 individuals with normal body mass index (BMI), 90 overweight, 81 obese ve 20 morbid obese] were evaluated. Anthropometric measurements were performed. The values for BMI were calculated. Obesity degree, MA, visceral adiposity values were recorded using TANITA body composition monitor. Differences between CA and MA were calculated. Statistical analyses were performed.

Results:

The mean±SD values for CA and MA for the study population were calculated as 43.2±16.0 and 46.3±16.3 years, respectively. This value for visceral adiposity was 8.2±4.8. A weak correlation was observed between obesity degree and CA. No correlation was observed between obesity degree and MA. However, a strong negative correlation was found between CA-MA and obesity degree. There was also a strong correlation between this index and visceral adiposity.

Conclusions:

It is concluded that during the evaluation of obesity degree, this new index, considering the difference between CA and MA, would give much more useful information rather than CA or MA.

Keywords: Chronological age, metabolic age, obesity degree, visceral adiposity