SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DEVELOPMENT OF CENTRAL ADIPOSITY AMONG POPULATIONS

There is good evidence that central(visceral) adiposity is important i n the development of the insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome (obe sity, hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance, hypertensio n, and coronary heart disease), It is proposed that some non-Caucasian populations are especially susceptible to development of this syndrom e, and that lifestyle changes may play important etiologic roles, We p ostulate that this is due to the presence in these populations of a ge netic predisposition to weight gain,perhaps related to a ''thrifty'' g enotype, leading to the concentration of weight gain in visceral fat d epots, when there is exposure to conditions associated with westerniza tion.