天美传媒

Abstract

The treatment of the world-wide obesity epidemic remains a problem. Despite many new approaches targeted at dietary
improvement and restriction combined with increased physical activity programs, obesity numbers are rising. Body mass index
(BMI) and weight assessment are frequently used to monitor weight loss programs. BMI and weight are influenced by weight gain or
loss from body stores that have significant different effects on health. An increase in healthy muscle mass as a result of physical activity
will obscure the loss of unhealthy visceral fat (VF) and despite health gain will reduce adherence to the program. In recent years much
progress has been made on the causal factors involved in the benefit of muscle and the down side of VF in relation to health risks.
Muscle has to be regarded as a hormone-producing organ influencing fat and glucose metabolism and VF induces an inflammatory
state causing the metabolic syndrome. Health risk is dependent on the balance between muscle and VF. The measurement of VF
is important in risk profiling and in follow up of interventions. Combining VF measurements with BMI has identified risk subphenotypes
in surgical patients corresponding to the lean fit, lean unfit, fat fit and fat unfit phenotypes. These new parameters will
help to monitor weight loss programs in the context of loss or gain of health in a particular sub-phenotype.

Biography

A P J Houdijk is a gastrointestinal/endocrine surgeon with a special interest in metabolic derangements related to body composition and complications after surgery. A
hallmark of metabolic derangements after surgery is insulin resistance as a result of the stress response. This response is influenced by body composition. The parallels
with the insulin resistant state in overweight and obesity has triggered his interest in studying the impact of different body stores in various disease states. In the last few
years, he is engaged as the Program Director of the Trial Center Holland Health tackling overweight related problems.