Sex-Specific Effects of Dietary Factors on Sarcopenic Obesity in Korean Elderly: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 16; no. 8; p. 1175
• Main Authors: Kim, Soojeong, Hong, Kyung Hee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 15.04.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Abdomen; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Alcohol; Analysis; Blood cholesterol; Body composition; Body fat; Carbohydrates; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet; Diet - statistics & numerical data; diet quality; dietary factor; Dietary supplements; elderly; Energy; Energy Intake; Exercise; Female; Food security; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Humans; KNHANES; Male; Metabolism; Mortality; Muscle strength; Nutrition research; Nutrition Surveys; Obesity; Obesity - epidemiology; Older people; Prevalence; Republic of Korea - epidemiology; Sarcopenia; Sarcopenia - epidemiology; Sarcopenia - etiology; sarcopenic obesity; Sex Factors; Surveys; Type 2 diabetes; Vitamins; Womens health; Republic of Korea; South Korea; KNHANES; sarcopenic obesity; dietary factor; elderly; diet quality
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu16081175

This study aimed to compare the dietary factors related to sarcopenia and obesity status in 5458 elderly individuals (2391 men and 3076 women) aged ≥65 years from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2019). Participants were categorized into normal, sarcopenia, obesity, and sarcopenic obesity groups. Sarcopenic obesity showed a higher prevalence of diabetes and lower HDL cholesterol levels compared to obesity. Sarcopenic obesity exhibited a lower total KHEI score and lower adequacy, including meat/fish/eggs/beans, than normal or obesity. In women, sarcopenic obesity scored lower than obesity on the total KHEI, adequacy for most foods, and balance of energy intake, and lower than sarcopenia on the adequacy of breakfast and milk/milk products. Sarcopenic obesity showed no significant difference in energy intake compared to sarcopenia, and less physical activity compared to sarcopenia and obesity, with a BMI/waist circumference comparable to that of obesity. Low total KHEI scores and scores for meat/fish/eggs/beans were most closely associated with sarcopenia in men and with sarcopenic obesity in women. In conclusion, low dietary quality and inadequate protein-rich foods are possibly associated with the prevalence of sarcopenic obesity in elderly Koreans, especially in women. Adequate energy intake and dietary diversity may be effective in managing sarcopenic obesity.