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Related Experiment Videos

Is body fat distribution changed by dieting?

J S Garrow1

  • 1Department of Human Nutrition, St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, London, United Kingdom.

Acta Medica Scandinavica. Supplementum
|January 1, 1988
PubMed
Summary

Traditional waist-to-hip and waist-to-thigh ratios are limited for assessing fat distribution. Fat deposition patterns during obesity and weight loss show individual variations, suggesting consistent depot characteristics.

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Area of Science:

  • Human Physiology
  • Body Composition Analysis

Background:

  • Traditional anthropometric measures like waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-thigh ratio (WTR) are commonly used to assess body fat distribution.
  • These circumference ratios may not accurately reflect fat deposition patterns, as different body sites accumulate fat at varying rates with increasing obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the limitations of standard circumference ratios in representing fat distribution.
  • To explore how fat deposition and loss patterns vary across different body depots.
  • To investigate the persistence of individual fat depot characteristics during weight changes.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of existing studies on fat distribution using circumference measurements (waist/hip, waist/thigh).
  • Examination of fat deposition and loss patterns in relation to obesity and weight reduction.
  • Review of serial studies on individuals with distinct fat depot sizes.

Main Results:

  • Circumference measurements do not increase uniformly with obesity; fat is preferentially deposited along the antero-posterior axis.
  • Waist-to-hip ratio remains stable during weight loss, while waist-to-thigh ratio decreases.
  • Individual fat depot characteristics appear to be relatively consistent, even after weight loss.

Conclusions:

  • Standard circumference ratios may not fully capture the dynamics of fat distribution changes.
  • Individual differences in fat depot size are likely persistent traits.
  • Fat gain and loss proportions across depots are theoretically similar, but relative depot sizes vary inter-individually.

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