ADIPOSE-TISSUE DISTRIBUTION AS ASSESSED BY MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGINGAND TOTAL-BODY FAT BY MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING, UNDERWATER WEIGHING, AND BODY-WATER DILUTION IN HEALTHY WOMEN

A method for estimating total body fat (TBF) and the amount and distri bution of adipose tissue in humans by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is described. Thirty transaxial images of subjects were taken b y a nuclear magnetic imager (0.02 T). Adipose tissue volume was calcul ated from adipose tissue area in each image and from the distances bet ween images. The CV when estimating total volume of body adipose tissu e was 1.5%. TBF of healthy Swedish women was estimated by the MRI meth od (n = 25), by underwater weighing (UWW) (n = 20), and by body-water dilution (BWD) (n = 23). When assessed by MRI and BWD, women contained 1.4 +/- 2.9% less and 4.7 +/- 4.0% more TBF, respectively, than when assessed by UWW. On average, 74.2% of total adipose tissue volume was situated subcutaneously. Subcutaneous fat:fat-free body weight and non subcutaneous fat:fat-free body weight were both significantly correlat ed with percent TBF but the women stored excess fat subcutaneously rat her than nonsubcutaneously.