{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T06:28:40Z","timestamp":1785306520228,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,1]],"date-time":"2025-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1756684800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study aimed to explore the relationship between early adulthood obesity and sarcopenic obesity (SO) among middle-aged and older adults in the United States.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>This retrospective study was conducted involving adults aged 50\u201369\u202fyears in the United States. Data were extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) during the periods 1999\u20132006 and 2011\u20132018. Height and weight at the age of 25\u202fyears were measured. Body mass index (BMI) at the age of 25\u202fyears (BMI<jats:sub>25<\/jats:sub>) was calculated. Healthy weight, overweight, and obesity at the age of 25\u202fyears (healthy weight<jats:sub>25<\/jats:sub>, overweight<jats:sub>25<\/jats:sub>, and obesity<jats:sub>25<\/jats:sub>) were defined as BMI<jats:sub>25<\/jats:sub> 18.5 to less than 25\u202fkg\/m<jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>, 25 to less than 30\u202fkg\/m<jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>, and 30\u202fkg\/m<jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup> or greater, respectively. SO was determined by dividing appendicular skeletal muscle mass by weight (ASM\/Wt) and percentage of fat mass [FM (%)].<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>The prevalence of SO was 5.4, 8.5, and 16.5% in healthy weight<jats:sub>25<\/jats:sub>, overweight<jats:sub>25<\/jats:sub>, and obesity<jats:sub>25<\/jats:sub> groups, respectively. After adjusting for confounding factors, the prevalence of SO in the overweight<jats:sub>25<\/jats:sub> group and the obesity<jats:sub>25<\/jats:sub> group was 1.161 times (95%CI: 0.898\u20131.500, <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u202f=\u202f0.254) and 2.286 times (95%CI: 1.651\u20133.165, <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001) higher, respectively, compared to the healthy weight<jats:sub>25<\/jats:sub> group.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study demonstrates that obesity in early adulthood is closely associated with an increased risk of sarcopenic obesity among middle-aged and older adults.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1609325","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,1]],"date-time":"2025-09-01T04:10:49Z","timestamp":1756699849000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["The relationship between early adulthood obesity and sarcopenic obesity among middle-aged and older adults in the United States"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Gang","family":"Cheng","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ying","family":"Zhou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yan","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chunguang","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jianghong","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"960.e1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jamda.2016.07.005","article-title":"Association of sarcopenia and obesity with multimorbidity in Korean adults: a nationwide cross-sectional study","volume":"17","author":"An","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Am Med Dir Assoc"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"afae286","DOI":"10.1093\/ageing\/afae286","article-title":"Association between sarcopenic obesity and risk of frailty in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"54","author":"Gengxin","year":"2025","journal-title":"Age Ageing"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e13187","DOI":"10.1111\/obr.13187","article-title":"Falls, fractures, and areal bone mineral density in older adults with sarcopenic obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"22","author":"Gandham","year":"2021","journal-title":"Obes Rev"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1264","DOI":"10.1002\/jcsm.13502","article-title":"Sarcopenic obesity and health outcomes: an umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analysis","volume":"15","author":"Veronese","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"155","DOI":"10.1111\/ggi.12579","article-title":"Association of sarcopenic obesity with the risk of all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies","volume":"16","author":"Tian","year":"2016","journal-title":"Geriatr Gerontol Int"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"183","DOI":"10.1186\/s12877-019-1195-y","article-title":"Association of sarcopenic obesity with the risk of all-cause mortality among adults over a broad range of different settings: a updated meta-analysis","volume":"19","author":"Zhang","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMC Geriatr"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"glae284","DOI":"10.1093\/gerona\/glae284","article-title":"Obesity, sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity, and hypertension: mediating role of inflammation and insulin resistance","volume":"80","author":"Zou","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1472","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clnu.2016.03.028","article-title":"Sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity and inflammation: results from the 1999-2004 national health and nutrition examination survey","volume":"35","author":"Batsis","year":"2016","journal-title":"Clin Nutr"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"253","DOI":"10.1016\/S2213-8587(22)00033-X","article-title":"Body-mass index and risk of obesity-related complex multimorbidity: an observational multicohort study","volume":"10","author":"Kivim\u00e4ki","year":"2022","journal-title":"Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"474","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-789X.2008.00475.x","article-title":"Tracking of childhood overweight into adulthood: a systematic review of the literature","volume":"9","author":"Singh","year":"2008","journal-title":"Obes Rev"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"372","DOI":"10.3390\/biom11030372","article-title":"Age-related skeletal muscle dysfunction is aggravated by obesity: an investigation of contractile function, implications and treatment","volume":"11","author":"Tallis","year":"2021","journal-title":"Biomolecules"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"929","DOI":"10.1038\/oby.2007.583","article-title":"Obesity history as a predictor of walking limitation at old age","volume":"15","author":"Stenholm","year":"2007","journal-title":"Obesity (Silver Spring)"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"927","DOI":"10.1093\/aje\/kwp007","article-title":"Overweight and obesity over the adult life course and incident mobility limitation in older adults: the health, aging and body composition study","volume":"169","author":"Houston","year":"2009","journal-title":"Am J Epidemiol"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1680","DOI":"10.1038\/sj.ijo.0803652","article-title":"The association between weight history and physical performance in the health, aging and body composition study","volume":"31","author":"Houston","year":"2007","journal-title":"Int J Obes"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.3390\/geriatrics8040071","article-title":"Socio-demographic, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics of early and later weight status in older adults: secondary analysis of the ASPREE trial and ALSOP sub-study","volume":"8","author":"Alharbi","year":"2023","journal-title":"Geriatrics (Basel)"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"301","DOI":"10.1007\/s12603-023-1907-1","article-title":"Self-reported early and later life weight and the risk of all-cause mortality in older adults","volume":"27","author":"Alharbi","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Nutr Health Aging"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0290085","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0290085","article-title":"Effects of non-pharmacological interventions on patients with sarcopenic obesity: a meta-analysis","volume":"18","author":"Xu","year":"2023","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"321","DOI":"10.1159\/000521241","article-title":"Definition and diagnostic criteria for sarcopenic obesity: ESPEN and EASO consensus statement","volume":"15","author":"Donini","year":"2022","journal-title":"Obes Facts"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"974","DOI":"10.1111\/jgs.12260","article-title":"Variation in the prevalence of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in older adults associated with different research definitions: dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry data from the national health and nutrition examination survey 1999-2004","volume":"61","author":"Batsis","year":"2013","journal-title":"J Am Geriatr Soc"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1164","DOI":"10.1038\/sj.ijo.0800741","article-title":"Body mass index and percent body fat: a meta analysis among different ethnic groups","volume":"22","author":"Deurenberg","year":"1998","journal-title":"Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"694","DOI":"10.1093\/ajcn\/72.3.694","article-title":"Healthy percentage body fat ranges: an approach for developing guidelines based on body mass index","volume":"72","author":"Gallagher","year":"2000","journal-title":"Am J Clin Nutr"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1328","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clnu.2022.04.026","article-title":"Sex and population-specific cutoff values of muscle quality index: results from NHANES 2011-2014","volume":"41","author":"Lopes","year":"2022","journal-title":"Clin Nutr"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4633","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clnu.2021.06.009","article-title":"Global prevalence of sarcopenic obesity in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"40","author":"Gao","year":"2021","journal-title":"Clin Nutr"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.1006\/pmed.1993.1014","article-title":"Do obese children become obese adults? A review of the literature","volume":"22","author":"Serdula","year":"1993","journal-title":"Prev Med"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"767","DOI":"10.1111\/eci.12659","article-title":"Healthy overweight\/obese youth: early osteosarcopenic obesity features","volume":"46","author":"Stefanaki","year":"2016","journal-title":"Eur J Clin Investig"},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"341","DOI":"10.1093\/gerona\/glq226","article-title":"Association between obesity history and hand grip strength in older adults--exploring the roles of inflammation and insulin resistance as mediating factors","author":"Stenholm","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"513","DOI":"10.1038\/s41574-018-0062-9","article-title":"Sarcopenic obesity in older adults: aetiology, epidemiology and treatment strategies","volume":"14","author":"Batsis","year":"2018","journal-title":"Nat Rev Endocrinol"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"557","DOI":"10.1093\/gerona\/glv169","article-title":"Intramyocellular lipid and impaired Myofiber contraction in normal weight and obese older adults","volume":"71","author":"Choi","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"444","DOI":"10.1111\/ggi.14582","article-title":"Associations between adiponectin and leptin levels and skeletal muscle mass and myosteatosis in older adults: the Shimanami health promoting program study","volume":"23","author":"Tabara","year":"2023","journal-title":"Geriatr Gerontol Int"},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e24633","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0024633","article-title":"Leptin in sarcopenic visceral obesity: possible link between adipocytes and myocytes","volume":"6","author":"Kohara","year":"2011","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"442","DOI":"10.1002\/jcsm.13415","article-title":"The age-related obesity paradigm: results from two large prospective cohort studies","volume":"15","author":"Ge","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"262","DOI":"10.1111\/obr.12358","article-title":"Why are there race\/ethnic differences in adult body mass index-adiposity relationships? A quantitative critical review","volume":"17","author":"Heymsfield","year":"2016","journal-title":"Obes Rev"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.1093\/ageing\/afy169","article-title":"Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis","volume":"48","author":"Cruz-Jentoft","year":"2019","journal-title":"Age Ageing"},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1366","DOI":"10.1159\/000522040","article-title":"The association of weight loss, weight status, and abdominal obesity with all-cause mortality in older adults","volume":"68","author":"Alharbi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Gerontology"},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.1097\/00001648-199501000-00012","article-title":"The validity of self-reports of past body weights by U.S. adults","volume":"6","author":"Perry","year":"1995","journal-title":"Epidemiology"},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"247","DOI":"10.1038\/sj.ijo.802195","article-title":"The accuracy of long-term recall of past body weight in Japanese adult men","volume":"27","author":"Tamakoshi","year":"2003","journal-title":"Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord"},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"28","DOI":"10.1016\/S0002-8223(01)00008-6","article-title":"Effects of age on validity of self-reported height, weight, and body mass index: findings from the third national health and nutrition examination survey, 1988-1994","volume":"101","author":"Kuczmarski","year":"2001","journal-title":"J Am Diet Assoc"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Public Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1609325\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,1]],"date-time":"2025-09-01T04:10:50Z","timestamp":1756699850000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1609325\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,1]]},"references-count":37,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1609325"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1609325","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-2565"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-2565","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,1]]},"article-number":"1609325"}}