Metabolically healthy obesity: Is it really healthy for type 2 diabetes mellitus?

Figure 1 Possible mechanisms that contribute to the future incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the transition from metabolically healthy obesity to metabolically unhealthy obesity. The presence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in metabolically healthy obesity is crucial to the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The possible mechanisms underlying the future development of type 2 diabetes mellitus in metabolically healthy obesity include beta-cell dysfunction, insulin resistance with impaired insulin action, adiponectin concentration reduction, as well as a chronic low-grade inflammatory status. MHO: Metabolically healthy obesity; MUO: Metabolically unhealthy obesity; NAFLD: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.