Menopause, fat and lean distribution in obese women

Objectives. Whether menopause per se influences fat distribution independently of the effect of aging remains controversial. The lack of consistency in the menopause related changes in body fat distribution may be the result of differences in the methods for measuring fat distribution or in the characteristics of the women studied. The-aim of this cross sectional study in obese women was to compare total body composition and regional fat and lean distribution, in premenopausal, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Methods: Body composition was assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in premenopausal (n = 26), perimenopausal(n = 24) and postmenopausal (n = 73) obese women with no intercurrent diseases. Results: It was shown that postmenopausal obese (n = 73) women had a higher proportion of total fat mass in the trunk and a lower proportion of total fat and lean mass in the femoral and leg regions than premenopausal women after adjustment for age and total fat mass. In the same analysis, perimenopausal women had a lower proportion of total fat in the leg and femoral regions and of total lean in the femoral region than premenopausal women; they had a regional body composition similar to that of postmenopausal women. Conclusion: The present data indicate that in obese women, post menopause and perimenopause are associated with differences in fat and lean distribution, independently of age and total fat.