Malnutrition could be a hidden culprit that lowers quality of life for people with larger bodies, especially if they have a health condition like osteoarthritis, University of Alberta research has found.
In a study of people with obesity and knee osteoarthritis, one in four also presented with malnutrition and, in turn, reported a worse perception of their physical function and capacity to manage their conditions on their own.
The findings point to how the condition, defined as a combination of having low muscle mass and a high level of inflammation, is often overlooked in larger individuals, says study co-author Carla Prado, a nutrition expert in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences and member of the Women and Children's Health Research Institute.
"We have this image of someone who has lost substantial weight and looks very thin — but malnutrition is not necessarily related to being thin or having a small body weight. Having a larger body doesn't necessarily mean someone is well nourished, especially when they're living with conditions like osteoarthritis."
The study profiled the nutritional status of 46 people with obesity and advanced knee osteoarthritis, and explored associations with health outcomes, using data from the Prevention of MusclE Loss in Osteoarthritis (POMELO) study, a joint project between the U of A and Arthritis Society Canada.
The work revealed that 26 per cent of the participants had malnutrition, which represents a high rate, and of those, 13 per cent also had sarcopenic obesity — a condition of low muscle mass, low muscle strength and high fat mass.
