The Correlation Between Waist, Thigh, and Calf Circumference with HOMA-IR Values in Obese Young Adults

Obesity is defined by excessive body fat accumulation and is a major risk factor for insulin resistance, which can lead to metabolic issues like type 2 diabetes. While waist circumference is commonly used to assess central obesity and related metabolic risks, the role of thigh and calf circumference in evaluating lower extremity fat distribution is less studied, particularly in obese young adults. These measurements are considered indicators of subcutaneous and intramuscular fat in the lower limbs, each with distinct metabolic characteristics. Fat accumulation in these areas may have higher lipolytic activity, increasing the uptake of circulating free fatty acids, which can impact insulin sensitivity and contribute to insulin resistance. This cross-sectional quantitative study involved 194 young adults, including 80 classified as obese. Anthropometric measures included waist, thigh, and calf circumferences, while insulin resistance was assessed using the HOMA-IR index. The relationships between these anthropometric variables and HOMA-IR were evaluated using Spearman correlation analysis. BMI showed a significant positive correlation with HOMA-IR (r = 0.52, p < 0.001). Thigh circumference demonstrated a positive correlation approaching significance (r = 0.38, p = 0.05), whereas waist and calf circumferences did not show significant correlations with HOMA-IR in the obese group. These findings suggest that, beyond central obesity, lower extremity fat distribution, particularly thigh circumference, plays a role in insulin resistance among obese young adults. This underscores the importance of comprehensive anthropometric assessment in evaluating metabolic risk.