Areas of fat loss in overweight young females following an 8-week period of energy intake reduction

In order to investigate the main areas of fat loss after an 8-week period o f energy intake reduction, the distribution of body fat was assessed on 14 females (BMI 27.3 +/- 0.83 kg m(-2)) (mean +/- SEM), aged 18-22 years. Tota l body fat was determined by hydrostatic weighing and subcutaneous fat mass and distribution were assessed using ultrasound and waist-hip circumferenc e ratios prior to, and following, an 8-week period during which subjects at tempted to reduce their energy intake by about 4.2 MJ day(-1). Subjects los t an average of 2.99 +/- 0.34 kg (p < 0.001), with greater loss (p < 0.001) of internal fat (1.5 +/- 0.2 kg) than of subcutaneous fat (0.7 +/- 0.1). S ubjects reduced their waist-hip ratio from 0.771 +/- 0.01 to 0.762 +/- 0.01 (p < 0.01), their waist circumference from 807 +/- 24 to 790 +/- 23 mm (p < 0.001) and their hip circumference from 1047 +/- 29 to 1037 +/- 29 mm (p < 0.001). Those with an android distribution of fat (n = 5) lost more weigh t than those with gynoid distribution (n = 9) (3.80 +/- 0.38 kg vs 2.54 +/- 0.14 kg, p < 0.05); they also showed a greater decrease in waist circumfer ence (27 +/- 5 vs 14 +/- 4 mm, p < 0.05) and a greater loss from internal f at stores (2.1 +/- 0.3 kg vs 1.1 +/- 0.2 kg, p < 0.05). The findings sugges t that individuals are prone to lose internal fat during a short period of reduced energy intake. As the visceral fat store is the largest internal fa t depot in the body, this suggests that individuals are indeed losing fat t hat could predispose to upper body obesity.