Lifestyle factors and clustered patterns of body shape change in Korean adults: A longitudinal observational study

Background

Obesity is a major health problem driven by lifestyle habits and changes in body composition, particularly increased body fat mass and reduced skeletal muscle mass. Body mass index alone cannot fully characterize adiposity distribution or changes in muscle mass. Body-shape indicators such as waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist-to-height ratio predict metabolic and cardiovascular disease risk; however, few studies have assessed longitudinal changes in these measures together with lifestyle factors. In this study, we aimed to identify clusters of body-shape change using 2-year follow-up data from Korean adults and to elucidate the body-composition and lifestyle factors underlying these changes.