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 of 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. Total body fat was determined by hydrostatic weighing and subcutaneous fat mass and distribution were assessed using ultrasound and waist-hip circumference ratios prior to, and following, an 8-week period during which subjects attempted to reduce their energy intake by about 4.2 MJ day(-1). Subjects lost 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). Subjects 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 weight 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 circumference (27 +/- 5 vs 14 +/- 4 mm, p < 0.05) and a greater loss from internal fat stores (2.1 +/- 0.3 kg vs 1.1 +/- 0.2 kg, p < 0.05). The findings suggest 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 fat depot in the body, this suggests that individuals are indeed losing fat that could predispose to upper body obesity.