The association between abdominal body composition and vascular calcification

Subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) may be associated with both adipose and skeletal muscle tissues in the abdomen. Accordingly, we examined whether subcutaneous, intermuscular, and visceral adipose tissue, as well as abdominal lean muscle, were associated with the presence and extent of vascular calcification in multiple vascular beds. Three hundred and ninety four patients (58.1% men) underwent electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) scans as part of routine health maintenance screening. The coronary and carotid calcium scores were analyzed at the time of the scan, whereas the other calcium scores, as well as the body composition analyses, were analyzed retrospectively. Mean age was 55.2 ± 11.1 years and BMI was 26.9 ± 4.2. The prevalence of any calcification in the carotids, coronaries, thoracic aorta, abdominal aorta, and iliacs was 30.1, 60.1, 39.8, 55.7, and 56.8%, respectively. Compared to those with calcification in different vascular beds, those without vascular calcification generally had significantly more lean muscle and less adipose tissue. In separate multivariable logistic models, a 1 s.d. increment in the ratio of abdominal and visceral fat to total area of each corresponding compartments was significantly associated with an increased odds for the presence of thoracic aortic calcium (odds ratio (OR) = 1.6, 1.5, respectively; P = 0.01 for both). Conversely, increases in abdominal lean muscle were associated with significantly decreased odds of thoracic aortic calcification (OR = 0.34; P ≤ 0.01). A similar pattern of associations existed among the other vascular beds. Also, the association between lean muscle and vascular calcification was independent of visceral adipose tissue. In conclusion, adipose tissue was positively and lean body mass inversely associated with prevalent aortic calcification.     

The effect of pioglitazone and resistance training on body composition in older men and women undergoing hypocaloric weight loss

Age‐related increases in ectopic fat accumulation are associated with greater risk for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, and physical disability. Reducing skeletal muscle fat and preserving lean tissue are associated with improved physical function in older adults. PPARγ‐agonist treatment decreases abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and resistance training preserves lean tissue, but their effect on ectopic fat depots in nondiabetic overweight adults is unclear. We examined the influence of pioglitazone and resistance training on body composition in older (65–79 years) nondiabetic overweight/obese men (n = 48, BMI = 32.3 ± 3.8 kg/m²) and women (n = 40, BMI = 33.3 ± 4.9 kg/m²) during weight loss. All participants underwent a 16‐week hypocaloric weight‐loss program and were randomized to receive pioglitazone (30 mg/day) or no pioglitazone with or without resistance training, following a 2 × 2 factorial design. Regional body composition was measured at baseline and follow‐up using computed tomography (CT). Lean mass was measured using dual X‐ray absorptiometry. Men lost 6.6% and women lost 6.5% of initial body mass. The percent of fat loss varied across individual compartments. Men who were given pioglitazone lost more visceral abdominal fat than men who were not given pioglitazone (?1,160 vs. ?647 cm³, P = 0.007). Women who were given pioglitazone lost less thigh subcutaneous fat (?104 vs. ?298 cm³, P = 0.002). Pioglitazone did not affect any other outcomes. Resistance training diminished thigh muscle loss in men and women (resistance training vs. no resistance training men: ?43 vs. ?88 cm³, P = 0.005; women: ?34 vs. ?59 cm³, P = 0.04). In overweight/obese older men undergoing weight loss, pioglitazone increased visceral fat loss and resistance training reduced skeletal muscle loss. Additional studies are needed to clarify the observed gender differences and evaluate how these changes in body composition influence functional status.     

Regional variation in adipose tissue lipolysis in lean and obese men.

Biopsies of adipose tissue were obtained from two subcutaneous regions (abdominal and femoral) in a sample of 54 men (32 obese and 22 lean subjects). Clonidine-induced antilipolysis in femoral adipose cells was similar in both groups, whereas subcutaneous abdominal adipocytes of obese individuals showed a higher alpha 2-adrenergic response than did subcutaneous abdominal adipose cells from lean subjects. In addition, epinephrine had a biphasic effect in subcutaneous abdominal adipocytes from obese individuals, as it induced antilipolysis at low concentrations, and a net lipolytic response at higher doses. In contrast, the physiological amine promoted lipolysis in subcutaneous abdominal adipose cells of lean subjects. Epinephrine- and clonidine-induced antilipolysis of subcutaneous abdominal adipocytes was positively associated with the level of subcutaneous abdominal fat measured by computed tomography (CT). Finally, men with a high alpha 2-adrenergic response of subcutaneous abdominal fat cells were fatter than those with a low alpha 2-adrenergic component. These results suggest that, in men with a wide range of body fatness, variations in the lipolytic response of subcutaneous abdominal adipose cells to epinephrine appear to involve changes in the functional balance between alpha 2- and beta-adrenoceptors.     

Relation Between BglII Polymorphism in 3β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Gene and Adipose Tissue Distribution in Humans

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) at the 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase locus and adipose tissue distribution pheno-types. A total of 132 unrelated individuals from the Quebec Family Study were followed prospectively for an average period of 11.3 years. The BglII polymorphism in exon 4 of the 3β-HSD gene was detected by PCR. Body mass, body fat, and regional fat distribution indicators were adjusted for age and age² within each gender. Associations were assessed in unrelated adults with ANOVA across three genotypes. No association was found for the indicators of body mass, body fat, and regional distribution of adipose tissue measured in 1992. In women, the changes (difference between data collected in 1992 and at entry) in the sum of six skinfolds (p=0.04), abdominal skinfold (p=0.01), and abdominal skinfold adjusted (p=0.03) for the sum of six skinfolds at entry were related to the BglII polymorphism at the 3β-HSD locus. These relations were not found in men, but they gained less body mass and body fat over the 11.3-year period. This suggests that sequence variation at the 3β-HSD locus or in neighboring genes on chromosome 1 may contribute to individual differences in body fat content and adipose tissue distribution in adult women, particularly in abdominal adipose tissue deposition as they grow older and gain body fat.     

Factors influencing body composition in persons with spinal cord injury: a cross-sectional study.

To determine the body composition differences across age, 133 men with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) (66 with tetraplegia, 67 with paraplegia) were compared with an age-, height-, and ethnicity-matched able-bodied male reference population (n = 100) using two different dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry densitometers. The effects of duration of injury, level, and completeness of lesion were analyzed in the SCI population. Independent of age, total body and regional lean mass were lower and fat mass was higher in persons with SCI compared with controls. The SCI group was 13 +/- 1% (means +/- SE) fatter per unit of body mass index (kg/m2) compared with the control group (P < 0.0001). Advancing age was strongly associated with less lean mass and greater adiposity in those with SCI, whereas it was mildly related in the controls. Total body and regional arm and trunk, but not leg, lean tissues were lower in subjects with SCI, across all ages, than in the controls. In summary, persons with SCI were fatter for any body mass index and demonstrated significantly less lean and more adipose tissues for any given age compared with controls.     

Predictors of ectopic fat accumulation in liver and pancreas in obese men and women

The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between body fat distribution, adipocytokines, inflammatory markers, fat intake and ectopic fat content of liver and pancreas in obese men and women. A total of 12 lean subjects (mean age 47.25 ± 14.88 years and mean BMI 22.85 ± 2), 38 obese subjects (18 men and 20 women) with mean age 49.1 ± 13.0 years and mean BMI 34.96 ± 4.21 kg/m2 were studied. Measurements: weight, height, BMI, waist circumference, as well as glucose, insulin, HOMA (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance), cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, daily energy intake, leptin, and adiponectin. Magnetic resonance was used to evaluate visceral, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT) as well as liver and pancreas lipid content using in-phase and out-of-phase magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence. Obese subjects had significantly higher weight, waist circumference, SCAT, deep SCAT, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), liver and pancreatic lipid content than lean subjects. Obese women had significantly lower VAT, liver and pancreas lipid content regardless of same BMI. In multiple regression analyses, the variance of liver lipid content explained by gender and VAT was 46%. When HOMA was added into a multiple regression, a small increase in the proportion of variance explained was observed. A 59.2% of the variance of pancreas lipid content was explained by gender and VAT. In conclusion, obese men show higher VAT and ectopic fat deposition in liver and pancreas than obese women despite same BMI. Independent of overall adiposity, insulin resistance, adiponectin and fat intake, VAT, measured with MRI, is the main predictor of ectopic fat deposition in both liver and pancreas.     

Effects of male hypogonadism on regional adipose tissue fatty acid storage and lipogenic proteins

Testosterone has long been known to affect body fat distribution, although the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We investigated the effects of chronic hypogonadism in men on adipose tissue fatty acid (FA) storage and FA storage factors. Twelve men with chronic hypogonadism and 13 control men matched for age and body composition: 1) underwent measures of body composition with dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and an abdominal CT scan; 2) consumed an experimental meal containing [(3)H]triolein to determine the fate of meal FA (biopsy-measured adipose storage vs. oxidation); 3) received infusions of [U-(13)C]palmitate and [1-(14)C]palmitate to measure rates of direct free (F)FA storage (adipose biopsies). Adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase, acyl-CoA synthetase (ACS), and diacylglycerol acetyl-transferase (DGAT) activities, as well as, CD36 content were measured to understand the mechanism by which alterations in fat storage occur in response to testosterone deficiency. Results of the study showed that hypogonadal men stored a greater proportion of both dietary FA and FFA in lower body subcutaneous fat than did eugonadal men (both p<0.05). Femoral adipose tissue ACS activity was significantly greater in hypogonadal than eugonadal men, whereas CD36 and DGAT were not different between the two groups. The relationships between these proteins and FA storage varied somewhat between the two groups. We conclude that chronic effects of testosterone deficiency has effects on leg adipose tissue ACS activity which may relate to greater lower body FA storage. These results provide further insight into the role of androgens in body fat distribution and adipose tissue metabolism in humans.     

Differences of subcutaneous adipose tissue topography between type-2 diabetic men and healthy controls

Men with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM) provide a different subcutaneous body fat distribution and a concentration of fatness on the upper trunk compared with healthy subjects. However, subcutaneous fat distribution is always measured in an inaccurate and/or very simplified way (e.g., by caliper), and to date, there exists no study reporting on the exact and complete subcutaneous adipose tissue distribution of type 2 DM men. A new optical device, the LIPOMETER, enables the nonivasive, quick, and safe determination of the thickness of subcutaneous adipose tissue layers at any given site of the human body. The specification of 15 evenly distributed body sites allows the precise measurement of subcutaneous body fat distribution, so-called subcutaneous adipose tissue topography (SAT-Top). SAT-Tops of 21 men with clinically proven type 2 DM (mean age of 57.5 +/- 6.7 years) and 111 healthy controls of similar age (mean age 59.0 +/- 5.4 years) were measured. In this paper, we describe the precise SAT-Top differences of these two groups and we present the multidimensional SAT-Top information condensed in a two-dimensional factor value plot. In type 2 DM men, especially in the upper trunk, SAT-Top is significantly increased (up to +50.7% at the neck) compared with their healthy controls. One hundred eleven of the 132 individuals (84.1%) are correctly classified (healthy or type 2 DM) by their subcutaneous fat pattern by stepwise discriminant analysis.     

Role of DHEA-S on body fat distribution: gender- and depot-specific stimulation of adipose tissue lipolysis

The objective of this work was to study the possible impact of DHEA-S on body fat distribution and the specific action of the hormone on lipolysis from visceral and subcutaneous human adipose tissue. First, a clinical evaluation was performed in 84 obese patients (29 men, 55 women), measuring serum DHEA-S, computed tomography (CT) anthropometric parameters of abdominal fat distribution. In a second experiment, subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue samples were obtained from 20 obese patients (10 men, 10 women) and cultured in vitro under stimulation with DHEA-S to further assess a possible effect of this hormone on adipose tissue lipolysis. Serum DHEA-S was inversely and specifically associated with visceral fat area (VA) as assessed by CT in men and with waist-to-hip ratio in women. In vitro, DHEA-S increased lipolysis in women's subcutaneous adipose tissue at 2 h, while in men, the effect was evident in visceral tissue and after 24 h of treatment. In conclusion, DHEA-S contributes to gender-related differences in body fat distribution probably by a differential lipolytic action. We have demonstrated for the first time in vitro that DHEA-S stimulates lipolysis preferably in subcutaneous fat in women and in visceral fat in men.     

Lower thigh subcutaneous and higher visceral abdominal adipose tissue content both contribute to insulin resistance

It is well known that visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is associated with insulin resistance (IR). Considerable debate remains concerning the potential positive effect of thigh subcutaneous adipose tissue (TSAT). Our objective was to observe whether VAT and TSAT are opposite, synergistic or additive for both peripheral and hepatic IR. Fifty-two volunteers (21 male/31 female) between 30 and 75 years old were recruited from the general population. All subjects were sedentary overweight or obese (mean BMI 33.0 ± 3.4 kg/m(2)). Insulin sensitivity was determined by a 4-h hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp with stable isotope tracer dilution. Total body fat and lean body mass were determined by dual X-ray absorptiometry. Abdominal and mid-thigh adiposity was determined by computed tomography. VAT was negatively associated with peripheral insulin sensitivity, while TSAT, in contrast, was positively associated with peripheral insulin sensitivity. Subjects with a combination of low VAT and high TSAT had the highest insulin sensitivity, subjects with a combination of high VAT and low TSAT were the most insulin resistant. These associations remained significant after adjusting for age and gender. These data confirm that visceral excess abdominal adiposity is associated with IR across a range of middle-age to older men and women, and further suggest that higher thigh subcutaneous fat is favorably associated with better insulin sensitivity. This strongly suggests that these two distinct fat distribution phenotypes should both be considered in IR as important determinants of cardiometabolic risk.     

Effects of age on testosterone responses to resistance exercise and musculoskeletal variables in men

This study compared serum total testosterone (TT) and free testosterone (FT) responses of young (20-26 years, n = 8), middle-aged (38-53 years, n = 7), and older (59-72 years, n = 9) men to resistance exercise. We also examined the relationships between testosterone (T) levels and strength, bone mineral density (BMD), and body composition variables for each age group. Subjects were tested for isotonic muscular strength (1 repetition maximum [1RM]), BMD (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry [DXA]) and body composition (DXA). Each group performed an acute exercise protocol (3 sets, 10 repetitions, 80% of 1RM, 6 exercises). Blood samples were obtained at baseline, immediately postexercise, and 15 minutes postexercise for the TT and FT assays. The older age group had significantly (p < 0.05) lower T levels than the young group, but each group exhibited an increase (p < 0.05) in TT and FT immediately postexercise. Total T and FT were significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with strength in middle-aged and older men and with bone-free lean tissue mass in older men. In conclusion, middle-aged and older men showed similar relative T responses to those of younger men to a single bout of high-intensity resistance exercise. However, T levels were related to strength and muscle mass only in middle-aged or older men. On a practical application level, older men can complete a high-intensity resistance exercise program resulting in spikes in T that may attenuate age-related muscle and BMD loss.     

Gender Differences in Anthropometric Predictors of Physical Performance in Older Adults

BackgroundBoth high body fat and low muscle mass have been associated with physical disability in older adults. However, men and women differ markedly in body composition; men generally have more absolute and relative lean muscle mass and less fat mass than women. It is not known how these anthropometric differences differentially affect physical ability in men and women.ObjectivesThis study examines differences in anthropometric predictors of physical performance in older women and men.MethodsParticipants were 470 older women and men 72.9 (7.9) years of age. Body composition was measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Maximum leg strength and power were measured using a leg press. Muscle quality (MQ) was calculated as relative strength (leg press strength per kilogram of leg muscle mass). Gait speed and chair rise were used to assess mobility performance and functional strength.ResultsBody mass index (BMI), age, and MQ emerged as predictors (P < 0.05) of functional strength and mobility in men and women somewhat differently. After accounting for age and sample, leg MQ was related to chair rise time and gait speed in men but not women. BMI was related to gait speed in both men and women, but BMI was related to chair rise time only in women.ConclusionResults implicate the prioritized importance of healthy weight and muscle maintenance in older women and men for maintained physical functioning with aging.     

Body Fat Loss Automatically Reduces Lean Mass by Changing the Fat‐Free Component of Adipose Tissue

Fat‐free mass or lean tissue mass includes nonskeletal muscle components such as the fat‐free component of adipose tissue fat cells. This fat‐free component of adipose tissue may need to be taken into consideration when large changes in body fat occur following a weight loss intervention. It is not uncommon to see a loss of lean mass with interventions designed to promote the loss of large amounts of fat mass. However, after eliminating the influence of the fat‐free component of adipose tissue on dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DXA)‐derived lean mass, the original loss of lean mass is no longer observed or is markedly reduced. This suggests that the majority of the lean mass lost with dieting may be the fat‐free component of adipose tissue. To accurately estimate the change in lean tissue, eliminating the fat‐free adipose tissue from DXA‐derived lean mass is needed when large changes in body fat occur following an intervention.     

Difference in abdominal muscularity at the umbilicus level between young and middle-aged men

This study aimed to examine how the muscularity of the abdomen at the umbilicus level differs between sedentary middle-aged and young men. Magnetic resonance imaging was applied to determine the cross-sectional areas of skeletal muscle, subcutaneous fat, and interperitoneal tissue in 43 middle-aged (40 58yrs) and 38 young (21-29 yrs) men. The cross-sectional area of the skeletal muscle was analyzed as the sum of those of the rectus abdominis, abdominal oblique, lower back, and iliopsoas skeletal muscle groups. The middle-aged men showed greater waist circumference and whole abdominal cross-sectional area than the young men. In addition, the cross-sectional areas of subcutaneous fat and interperitoneal tissue were greater in the middle-aged men than in the young men. However, the total cross-sectional area of the skeletal muscle was similar between the two groups, although its percentage to the whole abdominal cross-sectional area was higher in the young men compared to the middle-aged men. Among the four skeletal muscle groups analyzed, the percentage of the cross-sectional areas in abdominal oblique muscles to that of total skeletal muscle was higher in the middle-aged men than in the young men and that of the lower back muscles was the reverse. These results were similar even when cross-sectional area data were analyzed using a subsample (33 middle-aged and 23 young men) matched for body height and mass. Thus, the present study indicated that the total muscularity of the abdomen at the umbilicus level was similar between the middle-aged and young men, but the relative distributions of lower back and abdominal oblique muscles varied between the two generations.     

The anatomy of adipose tissue in captive Macaca monkeys and its implications for human biology

In a sample of 31 sedentary, ad libitum-fed monkeys, most specimens had less than 5% adipose tissue by weight. Total fatness correlated closely with the number of adipocytes per kilogram lean body mass, but not at all with mean adipocyte volume, except in specimens below 5% fat. The total number of adipocytes per kilogram of lean body mass increased more than tenfold in the most obese specimens. These data suggest that, like humans but in contrast to laboratory rodents, adipocyte proliferation, not adipocyte enlargement, is the chief mechanism of adipose tissue expansion except in very lean monkeys. Adipose tissue was found in all the typical mammalian depots and in the superficial abdominal paunch, which enlarged disproportionately in obese specimens, forming an almost continuous layer over most of the body. Site-specific differences in the activities of some glycolytic enzymes were similar to those of other mammals. Adipocytes in the paunch depot showed biochemical properties in common with those in the groin depots. The distribution and cellularity of adipose tissue in normal humans were similar to those of exceptionally obese monkeys. Many of the interspecific and sex differences can be attributed to the much greater abundance of adipose tissue in humans, and may not be associated with hair reduction or aquatic habits. Some minor changes in the size or shape of certain adipose depots may have arisen recently under sexual selection. The relevance of laboratory rodents as animal models of human obesity is assessed from comparison of the cellular structure, anatomical distribution and enzyme profiles of adipose tissue in monkeys with those of human and other mammals.     

Muscle strength and body composition as determinants of blood pressure in young men

The correlations of blood pressure to various indices of muscularity and fatness were studied in 183 young healthy men (mean age 19.7, SD 2.1 years). Systolic pressure showed significant positive correlations with body fat percentage, isometric strength of trunk extensors, body mass index, lean body mass, strength of leg extensors, heart rate, and the sum of four skinfolds. Diastolic pressure had significant positive correlations with body mass index, lean body mass, body fat percentage, sum of skinfolds, strength of leg extensors, strength of trunk extensors, and age. A stepwise selective multiple regression analysis for systolic pressure resulted in four significantly correlating variables: body fat percentage (p less than 0.001), heart rate (p less than 0.01), lean body mass (p less than 0.05), and strength of trunk extensors per kg body weight (p less than 0.05). For diastolic pressure the analysis resulted in two explaining variables: body mass index (p less than 0.001) and age (p less than 0.05). In a regression equation with 13 variables the strength of trunk flexors was negatively correlated with diastolic pressure. It is concluded that both fatness and muscularity are factors related to blood pressure in young men. The muscularity effect is more clearly associated with trunk and leg extensor strength.     

Elevated soluble lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor-1 (sLOX-1) levels in obese postmenopausal women

We investigated the association between soluble lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (sLOX-1) levels and obesity in older women. Fifty-one postmenopausal women (10 lean, 22 overweight, and 19 obese) were included in this small retrospective analysis. Plasma sLOX-1 levels were measured using a chemiluminescent enzyme-linked immunoassay. Plasma levels of sLOX-1 were significantly higher in obese women (55.33 +/- 4.49 pg/ml) compared to lean (30.91 +/- 6.19 pg/ml, P = 0.002) and overweight women (38.31 +/- 4.18 pg/ml, P = 0.017). Plasma sLOX-1 levels were positively associated with body weight, BMI, total body fat, and trunk fat. The relationship between sLOX-1 and BMI was attenuated after adjustment for age, hormone replacement therapy, and body fat. In conclusion, obese women have higher sLOX-1 levels, which may reflect increased LOX-1 expression in adipose tissue.     

Influences of age and gender on human thermoregulatory responses to cold exposures

To delineate age- and gender-related differences in physiological responses to cold exposure, men and women between the ages of 20 and 29 yr and 51 and 72 yr, wearing minimal clothing, were exposed at rest for 2 h to 28, 20, 15, and 10 degrees C room temperatures with 40% relative humidity. During the coldest exposure, the rates of increase in metabolic rate (W X m-2 or ml X kg lean body mass-1 X min-1 were similar for all groups. However, older women (n = 7) may have benefited from a larger (P less than 0.05) early metabolic (M) increase (40% within 15 min) than young men (18%) (n = 10), young women (5%) (n = 10), or older men (5%) (n = 10). A similar rapid M response in older women occurred during the 15 degrees C exposure. During all cold exposures, older women maintained constant rectal temperature (Tre) and young women maintained Tre only during the 20 degrees C exposures, whereas Tre of the men declined during all cold exposures (P less than 0.01). Changes in Tre and mean skin temperature (Ts) during cold exposure were largely related to body fat, although age and surface area/mass modified the changes in men. The data suggest that older men are more susceptible to cold ambients than younger people, since they did not prevent a further decline in their initially relatively low Tre. Despite greater insulation from body fat, the older women maintained a constant Tre at greater metabolic cost than men or younger women.     

Rapid Postnatal Weight Gain and Visceral Adiposity in Adulthood: The Fels Longitudinal Study

Rapid infant weight gain is associated with increased abdominal adiposity, but there is no published report of the relationship of early infant growth to differences in specific adipose tissue depots in the abdomen, including visceral adipose tissue (VAT). In this study, we tested the associations of birth weight, infant weight gain, and other early life traits with VAT, abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (ASAT), and other body composition measures using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry in middle adulthood (mean age = 46.5 years). The sample included 233 appropriate for gestational age singleton white children (114 males) enrolled in the Fels Longitudinal Study. Multivariate‐adjusted general linear models were used to test the association of infant weight gain (from 0 to 2 years), maternal BMI, gestational age, parity, maternal age, and other covariates with adulthood body composition. Compared to infants with slow weight gain, rapid weight gain was associated with elevated risk of obesity (adjusted odds ratio = 4.1, 95% confidence interval = 1.4, 11.1), higher total body fat (+7 kg, P = 0.0002), percent body fat (+5%, P = 0.0006), logVAT mass (+0.43 kg, P = 0.02), logASAT mass (+0.47 kg, P = 0.001), and percent abdominal fat (+5%, P = 0.03). There was no evidence that the increased abdominal adipose tissue was due to a preferential deposition of VAT. In conclusion, rapid infant weight gain is associated with increases in both VAT and ASAT, as well as total adiposity and the risk of obesity in middle adulthood.     

Meal fatty acid uptake in adipose tissue: gender effects in nonobese humans

We tested for gender differences in dietary fatty acid metabolism in 12 nonobese men and 12 nonobese women using the meal fatty acid tracer/adipose tissue biopsy study design. In addition to determining body composition, measurements of regional adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase activity, blood flow, and fat cell size were performed to place the meal fatty acid kinetic studies in perspective. Twenty-four hours after ingesting the test meal, the concentration of meal fatty acids was greater (P < 0.05) in abdominal subcutaneous than in thigh adipose tissue in both men (0. 61 +/- 0.12 vs. 0.45 +/- 0.09 mg/g) and women (0.59 +/- 0.10 vs. 0. 43 +/- 0.05) but was not different between men and women. A greater percentage of dietary fat was stored in subcutaneous adipose tissue in women than in men (38 +/- 3 vs. 24 +/- 3%, respectively, P < 0. 05), and a greater portion of meal fatty acid disposal was unaccounted for in men. Significant gender differences in regional adipose tissue blood flow after meal ingestion were noted; the differences were in the direction that could support greater nutrient storage in lower body fat in women.