Metabolically Healthy Obesity

The investigators seek to better understand how a single high-fat meal impacts gut, immune, and vascular outcomes in individuals with "metabolically healthy obesity" (obesity and largely normal cardiometabolic profile) and "metabolically healthy normal-weight individuals." Second, the investigators seek to understand how a prebiotic fiber (inulin) impacts gut, immune, and vascular outcomes in individuals with "metabolically healthy obesity."

This study aims to develop a non-invasive diagnostic method for metabolic syndrome (MetS) and metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) through analysis of exhaled air. Using proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry combined with machine learning algorithms, we will characterize volatile organic compound profiles in 300 participants across three groups: MetS patients, MHO patients, and healthy controls. The primary goal is to create and validate a classification model capable of accurately differentiating these metabolic states based on breath analysis.

Based on prior research, the investigators are interested in whether an intervention targeting gut health (supplemental fiber for 9 weeks total) will improve vascular health in individuals with obesity. Additionally, the investigators are interested in if this response differs based on whether individuals with obesity have very few heart disease risk factors or several heart disease risk factors.

The goals of this research study are to: 1) understand why some people with obesity are protected from developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease while others are more likely to develop obesity-related conditions; 2) assess the effect of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs also called exosomes), obtained from human participants, on metabolic function in cultured cells and in mice.