163Lunch establishments are associated to metabolic phenotypes in Brazilian adults: CUME project

Abstract

Background Studies have shown the relationship between food environment and obesity, but few explore metabolic phenotypes as outcomes. Methods We studied 4,311 adults (2,916 women, 1,395 men, with a mean age of 35.9 ± 9.4 y) from the Cohort of Universities in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Participants were classified as obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) or non-obese. Additionally, metabolic phenotypes were classified as healthy and unhealthy (≥ 1 conditions) based on the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. We also evaluated the type of food establishment where participants usually had lunch. Multinomial logistic regression analyzes were used to assess the relationship between lunch establishments and metabolic phenotypes, using the Metabolically Healthy Non-Obesity as reference category. Results The Metabolically Healthy Obese (MHO) phenotype represented 4.6% and 40.5% of the total sample and obese population, respectively. We found no associations between having lunch at home, in university restaurants or à la carte restaurants with metabolic phenotypes. Having lunch at large fast-food chains increased 1.88 (95% 1.22 - 2.90) times the chance of healthy obese phenotype and 1.56 (95% 1.03 - 2.37) times the chance of unhealthy obese phenotype. Conclusions The food habit of having lunch in unhealthy food establishments was associated with obesity, regardless of the classification of the metabolic phenotype. Key messages The habit of having lunch in fast food restaurants is associated with obesity. Metabolically healthy obesity can be a transient state up to the unhealthy phenotype. This population must also be the target of nutritional interventions.