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PubMed2001

A randomized controlled trial of a moderate-fat, low-energy diet compared with a low fat, low-energy diet for weight loss in overweight adults.

CONTEXT: Long-term success in weight loss with dietary treatment has been elusive. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a diet moderate in fat based on the Mediterranean diet compared to a standard low-fat diet for weight loss when both were controlled for energy. DESIGN: A randomized, prospective 18 month trial in a free-living population. PATIENTS: A total of 101 overweight men and women (26.5-46 kg/m(2)). INTERVENTION: (1) Moderate-fat diet (35% of energy); (2) low-fat diet (20% of energy). MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Change in body weight. RESULTS: After 18 months, 31/50 subjects in the moderate-fat group, and 30/51 in the low fat group were available for measurements. In the moderate-fat group, there were mean decreases in body weight of 4.1 kg, body mass index of 1.6 kg/m(2), and waist circumference of 6.9 cm, compared to increases in the low-fat group of 2.9 kg, 1.4 kg/m(2) and 2.6 cm, respectively; P < or = 0.001 between the groups. The difference in weight change between the groups was 7.0 kg. (95% CI 5.3, 8.7). Only 20% (10/51) of those in the low-fat group were actively participating in the weight loss program after 18 months compared to 54% (27/50) in the moderate-fat group, (P<0.002). The moderate-fat diet group was continued for an additional year. The mean weight loss after 30 months compared to baseline was 3.5 kg (n = 19, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: A moderate-fat, Mediterranean-style diet, controlled in energy, offers an alternative to a low-fat diet with superior long-term participation and adherence, with consequent improvements in weight loss.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Adaptive response of rat pancreatic lipase to dietary fat: effects of amount and type of fat.

Pancreatic lipase adapts to changes in dietary fat by parallel changes in synthesis. The adaptation to changes in type of dietary fat (saturation or chain length) is unclear. The effects of changes in amount and type of dietary fat were examined in weanling rats fed for 1 wk diets low in fat (LF) with 10% kcal as corn oil, moderate in fat (MF) with 40% kcal as fat (corn oil, lard, safflower oil, butter, olive oil or coconut oil), or high in fat (HF) with 67% kcal as fat (as for MF). Growth was comparable among rats fed these diets. Pancreatic lipase activity increased in all HF diets (180%) compared to the LF diet. In MF diets, only the highly unsaturated safflower oil increased pancreatic lipase (162%) compared to the LF diet. Food consumption varied, but was not related to the response of pancreatic lipase. When weanling rats were fed diets with 11, 40, 47, 54, 67 and 75% kcal as corn oil, pancreatic lipase activity was not stimulated at or below 47% kcal fat, but was maximally stimulated (twofold) by 54 or 67% fat. These findings suggest that pancreatic lipase activity adapts primarily to the amount of dietary fat and responds to the type of fat only below the threshold level of dietary fat (47% kcal).

Amylases↗
PubMed2005

Metabolic responses to high-fat or low-fat meals and association with sympathetic nervous system activity in healthy young men.

The present study was designed to investigate the metabolic and sympathetic responses to a high-fat meal in humans. Fourteen young men (age: 23.6 +/- 0.5 y, BMI: 21.3 +/- 0.4 kg/m2) were examined for energy expenditure and fat oxidation measured by indirect calorimetry for 3.5 h after a high-fat (70%, energy from fat) or an isoenergetic low-fat (20% energy from fat) meal served in random order. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity was assessed using power spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV). After the high-fat meal, increases in thermoregulatory SNS activity (very low-frequency component of HRV, 0.007-0.035 Hz, 577.4+/-45.9 vs. 432.0+/-49.3 ms2, p<0.05) and fat oxidation (21.0+/-5.3 vs. 13.3+/-4.3 g, p<0.001) were greater than those after the low-fat meal. However, thermic effects of the meal (TEM) were lower after the high-fat meal than after the low-fat meal (27.5+/-11.2 vs. 36.1+/-10.9 kcal, p<0.05). In conclusion, the high-fat meal can stimulate thermoregulatory SNS and lipolysis, but resulted in lower TEM, suggesting that a high proportion of dietary fat intake, even with a normal daily range of calories, may be a potent risk factor for further weight gain.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The choice of fat-free vs. regular-fat fudge: the effects of liking for the alternative and the restraint status.

Non-restrained and restrained American women (N=157) chose a portion of a fat-free or regular-fat hot fudge, to be eaten on a portion of fat-free or regular-fat (depending on the experimental condition) ice cream. The subjects had tasted and rated samples of both fudge and ice cream earlier in the same session and, prior to the choice, they were informed of their own hedonic ratings of both fudges and of the respective fat contents ("fat-free" vs. "regular-fat"). The higher the hedonic difference (fat-free minus regular-fat) between hot fudge samples and the higher the individual restraint score, the more likely was the choice of the fat-free option. Also, the less hungry the subjects were prior to testing, the more likely they were to choose the fat-free version. On average, the hedonic difference between the hot fudge samples was roughly -0.5 for those choosing the fat-free option, while the corresponding value for subjects choosing the regular-fat version was -3 (9-point scale). The type of ice cream did not affect the choice. The data demonstrate the effects of a food (its hedonic quality), person (restrained status), and context (perceived hunger) on food choice.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Dietary fat, sugar, and fiber predict body fat content.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the relationships among the specific components of dietary fat and carbohydrate and body fatness in lean and obese adults. DESIGN: Body composition determination was performed on each subject by hydrostatic weighing at residual volume. Subsequently, the individual components of dietary fat and carbohydrate were examined relative to body fatness using a 3-day food diary and a food frequency questionnaire. SUBJECTS: Subjects were 23 lean (11.1 +/- 2.9% body fat) men, 23 obese (29.2 +/- 3.8% body fat) men, 17 lean (16.7 +/- 3.3% body fat) women, and 15 obese (42.7 +/- 3.9% body fat) women who volunteered for free diet and body composition analyses. Inclusion criteria were 15% body fat for lean men, 25% for obese men, 20% for lean women, and 35% for obese women. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS PERFORMED: Group comparisons for dietary variables were made with a multivariate analysis of variance. RESULTS: No differences were found between lean and obese subjects for energy intake or total sugar intake, but obese subjects derived a greater portion of their energy from fat (33.1 +/- 2.6% and 36.3 +/- 2.3% for obese men and women, respectively, vs 29.1 +/- 1.3% and 29.6 +/- 2.0%, lean men and women, respectively). Percent of fat intake for saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats was not different among groups. Obese subjects derived a greater percentage of their sugar intake from added sugars than lean subjects (38.0 +/- 3.5% vs 25.2 +/- 2.0%, respectively, for men; 47.9 +/- 8.0% vs 31.4 +/- 3.4%, respectively, for women). Dietary fiber was lower for obese men (20.9 +/- 1.8 g) and women (15.7 +/- 1.1 g) than for lean men (27.0 +/- 1.8 g) and women (22.7 +/- 2.1 g). APPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is maintained primarily by a diet that is high in fat and added sugar and relatively low in fiber. Alterations in diet composition rather than energy intake may be a weight control strategy for overweight adults.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1995

Epididymal fat depot lipoprotein lipase activity is lower in animals with high endogenous fat preferences.

Adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is a key enzyme responsible for the clearance of circulating triglycerides and has been linked to certain pathologic states such as obesity. In order to investigate whether an animal's endogenous fat-preference is associated with differences in adipose tissue LPL, we measured enzyme activity in epididymal fat from high- and low-fat preferring rats. Utilizing a 24h ad libitum feeding paradigm, four groups of outbred adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were screened separately for their macronutrient preferences. Animals exhibiting high- or low-fat preferences were identified and placed back on standard chow. LPL activity was measured in epididymal fat under chow fed or fasted conditions. Epididymal fat LPL activity was significantly less in the high-fat-preferring animals relative to the low-fat-preferring, in both the standard chow-fed state (p = 0.014) and fasted (p = 0.0007) state. LPL activity in heart ventricle and brown adipose tissue was also measured from the same animals. Activity in heart ventricle and brown adipose tissue was significantly lower in the high-fat-preferring group as compared with the low-fat-preferring only following a 24h fast (p = 0.0012 for heart and p = 0.0085 for brown adipose, high- versus low-fat preferring). The data indicate that differences in tissue LPL activity exist between animals with inherent differences in fat preference. Future comparative studies between the two groups of fat-preferring animals could lead to important clues to the regulation of the LPL.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Fat preferences and fat consumption of 3- to 5-year-old children are related to parental adiposity.

OBJECTIVE: To examine differences in preferences for high-fat foods, dietary fat intake, anthropometric measurements, and parental body mass index (BMI) among 3- to 5-year-old children. DESIGN: Children's fat intake was measured using 30-hour weighed food intake data from a standard menu. Children's fat preferences were assessed using a subset of foods from the standard menu. We obtained parents' BMI scores and children's anthropometric measurements including weight-for-stature, triceps, and subscapular skinfolds. SUBJECTS: Participants were children 3 to 5 years of age (n = 18, 10 girls and 8 boys; mean [+/- standard deviation] age = 52 +/- 1.9 months) who were without food allergies, food sensitivities, or chronic illness, and the children's parents (18 mothers and 16 fathers). STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Correlational analyses and maximum likelihood contingency tables were used to examine children's fat preferences and fat intake, children's anthropometric measurements, and BMI scores of parents. RESULTS: Although all children were offered the same daily menu, children's dietary fat intakes ranged from 25% to 42%. Children indicating strong preferences for high-fat foods had high total fat intakes (r = .54, P < .05; chi 2 = 3.96, df = 1, P < .05). Children's fat preferences were also related to their triceps skinfold measurements (r = .61; P < .01). Finally, those children with the strongest preferences for high-fat foods (r = .75, P < .01; chi 2 = 10.68, df = 1, P < .05) and the highest total fat intakes (r = .67, P < .01; chi 2 = 5.28, df = 1, P < .05) had heavier parents than did children with low scores. CONCLUSIONS: Offering children a nutritionally adequate diet is necessary but may not be sufficient to ensure dietary quality; children's food preferences are influential determinants of macronutrient intake. The association of children's fat preferences and intake with parental adiposity suggests that dietary influences may mediate familial patterns of adiposity.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Incorporating fat-modified foods into a food frequency questionnaire improves classification of fat intake.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the extent to which incorporating fat-modified foods into a food frequency questionnaire influences the agreement of energy and nutrient estimates with estimates obtained from food records. DESIGN: Subjects completed four 2-day food records at 3-month intervals. At the end of the recording period, a food frequency questionnaire was administered to assess usual daily intake during the preceding year. SUBJECTS/SETTING: One hundred and three subjects selected from a population-based sample of adults participating in the Beaver Dam Eye Study. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Subjects were categorized into three groups on the basis of their frequency of consumption of fat-modified foods. For each group, correlations were calculated between food record estimates and estimates obtained from the original food frequency questionnaire, the original with a low-fat option, and the fat-modified questionnaire. RESULTS: For persons categorized as high consumers of fat-modified foods, incorporating questions regarding the consumption of these products resulted in higher correlations with food record estimates (original vs fat-modified version) for percentage of energy from total fat (.32 vs .47), saturated fat (.20 vs .41), oleic acid (.32 vs .50), and linoleic acid (.40 vs .46). High consumers differed in several characteristics that could be associated with disease risk (eg, higher ratios of serum total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol). CONCLUSIONS: Failure to account for the consumption of fat-modified foods in epidemiologic studies may result in misclassification of fat exposures. Because patterns of misclassification could be different for those at risk for disease, results of epidemiologic studies could be biased if these foods are excluded. Thus, incorporating fat-modified foods into food frequency questionnaires will improve the ability of researchers to correctly classify fat exposures and to evaluate potentially important relationships between fat intake and disease risk.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Effect of additional questions about fat on the validity of fat estimates from a food frequency questionnaire. Study Group of MRS SWEA.

OBJECTIVE: We studied whether the validity of fat estimates from food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) can be increased by using in nutrient calculation an additional qualitative information about the type of fat and reduced consumption of visible fat and skin. DESIGN: A random sample of women answered an 88-item self-administered FFQ and performed 4 x 1-week weighed dietary records (DR). SETTING: Uppsala County in central Sweden. SUBJECTS: One hundred and eighty-four women aged 30-77 y, with FFQ and complete DR; 73 women with subcutaneous adipose tissue (AT) samples. METHODS: Fat intake from the FFQ was calculated with/without use of qualitative information and compared to DR and fat composition of AT. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Estimates of long-time intake of total fat, saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated fat and ten specific fatty acids based on FFQ, DR and composition of AT. RESULTS: Mean absolute fat intake estimates based on FFQ (without vs with use of additional fat information) were 21.2 vs 20.2 g/d for saturated, 17.1 vs 16.0 g/d for monounsaturated and 7.3 vs 7.3 g/d for polyunsaturated fat. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the FFQ and AT for polyunsaturated fat was 0.65 vs 0.67. Corresponding correlation between the FFQ and DR was 0.40 vs 0.41; adjustment for energy intake increased this correlation from 0.40 to 0.52. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in the validity of fat estimates due to use of qualitative information about fat was negligible; energy adjustment had greater impact than asking additional questions.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1998

Are high-fat and low-fat consumers distinct phenotypes? Differences in the subjective and behavioural response to energy and nutrient challenges.

OBJECTIVE: To characterise the appetite control in habitual high fat (HF) and low fat (LF) phenotypes. DESIGN: Four treatment conditions for each subject group in a fully repeated 2 x 2 x 2 measures design. SETTING: The Human Appetite Research Unit at Leeds University, Psychology Department. SUBJECTS: Eight lean HF (mean % fat intake-46.7% daily energy) and eight lean LF (mean % fat intake - 29.9% daily energy) were recruited from the staff/student population of Leeds University. INTERVENTIONS: All subjects were provided with either a low (2129 kJ) or high (3801 kJ) energy meal at midday and the capacity for compensation was later measured by nutrient challenge (ad libitum consumption of either high fat or high CHO foods). Satiation and satiety were assessed by changes in energy and nutrient intakes, hunger, fullness and food preferences. RESULTS: The energy and nutrient manipulations gave rise to different levels in the rated intensity of hunger between HF and LF (P < 0.01). HF rated their baseline hunger at a higher level than LF, and the nutrient induced changes in hunger had a much greater amplitude. HF consumed significantly more energy from the high fat meals than from the high CHO meals (P < 0.05); this effect was not observed in LF. HF ate more energy and a greater weight of the high fat foods but less energy and smaller weight of the high CHO foods than did the LF. HF rated the high fat and high CHO foods equally satisfying, tasty and filling, whereas LF indicated a preference for high CHO foods (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The appetite control in habitual high and low fat consumers is different. HF 'passively overconsume' fat whereas this effect is weak in LF. The HF ate a constant weight of food whereas LF ate a more constant level of energy. HF could not distinguish between high and low fat foods suggesting that they were intrinsically insensitive or 'taste adapted' whereas LF were fat sensitive. The clear differences disclosed in response to signals generated by the characteristics of ingested food (weight, energy, nutrient composition, taste) suggest that habitual high and low fat consumers can be regarded as distinct behavioural phenotypes. The different styles of appetite control could arise from: (a) intrinsic physiological differences, or (b) a system which is adapted to deal with a particular type of diet.

Appetite↗
PubMed1998

Energy restriction with high-fat diet enriched with coconut oil gives higher UCP1 and lower white fat in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of overfeeding on a high fat diet, enriched in coconut oil, and the influence of food restriction on the uncoupling protein (UCP1) expression and on body fat content. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: In experiment I, female Wistar rats were fed ad libitum either a normal-fat diet (control group, C) or a high-fat diet (HF), enriched in coconut oil, for 7 weeks. In experiment II, HF rats after finishing experiment I were fed (for 3 weeks) either the normal-fat diet (group CAHF, Control After High Fat) or food restricted diets which provided 60% of the energy intake of group CAHF: a group fed a low-energy, normal-fat diet (LENF) and another fed a low-energy, high-fat diet (LEHF). MEASUREMENTS: Body and fatty depot weights. Food intake. Protein and UCP1 levels of interscapular brown adipose tissue. RESULTS: High-fat diet feeding promoted an increase in body fat content, body weight and UCP1 levels. Energy restriction induced similar body weight reduction in groups LENF and LEHF. However, some adipose depots were more strongly reduced in the rats fed the high-fat diet enriched in coconut oil (group LEHF) than in the rats fed the normal-fat diet (Group LENF). Specific UCP1 was 2.0 (group LENF) and 3.4 (group LEHF) times higher than in controls (group CAHF). CONCLUSION: The coconut-oil enriched diet is effective in stimulating UCP1 expression during ad libitum feeding and in preventing its down regulation during food restriction, and this goes hand in hand with a decrease of the white fat stores.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1992

Adipocyte insulin responsiveness in female Sprague-Dawley rats fed a low fat diet containing a fat-mimetic carbohydrate.

Two experiments examined the effects of replacing high fat with low fat diets on adipocyte insulin sensitivity and response. Female Sprague-Dawley rats had free access to diets containing 21% (control), 61% (high fat) or 2% (low fat) of energy as fat. In the low fat diet a carbohydrate-based fat-mimetic carbohydrate replaced all but the essential fat present in the high fat diet. Insulin-stimulated glucose utilization by isolated adipocytes was measured after 10, 30 or 50 d. In a second study adipocyte insulin saturation curves were measured after 36 d. Rats fed the high fat diet for 30 d were insulin resistant and adipocyte basal and insulin-stimulated glucose utilization were depressed. The low fat diet initially stimulated glucose utilization of adipocytes but did not change insulin responsiveness. After 50 d there was no difference in glucose utilization between adipocytes from rats fed control and low fat diets. Insulin resistance in rats fed the high fat diet was associated with a nonsignificant reduction in insulin receptor number. These observations do not exclude the possibility of a post-receptor defect in glucose utilization.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2002

Total fat and (n-3):(n-6) fat ratios influence eicosanoid production in mice.

Previous studies have not addressed the effect of differing fat intake on the effectiveness of varying (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ingestion in altering tissue composition and eicosanoid production. This study examined (n-3):(n-6) PUFA ratios of 0, 0.1:1, 0.2:1, 0.4:1, and 1:1 with total fat at 5, 10, 15, and 20 g/100 g of diet and (n-6) PUFA fixed at 1.5 g/100 g of diet on tissue composition and peritoneal cell eicosanoid response to an in vivo inflammatory stimulus in 240 mice. Both (n-3) PUFA and total fat intake influenced tissue composition and eicosanoid biosynthesis. Increased (n-3) PUFA intake was associated with an increase in tissue (n-3) PUFA and a decrease in long-chain (n-6) PUFA. Although hepatic tissue linoleic acid (LA) was not altered by (n-3) PUFA intake or changes in total fat, peritoneal cell LA increased in response to increasing total fat but was unaffected by changes in dietary (n-3) PUFA. Four-series leukotrienes (LT) decreased progressively with increased (n-3) PUFA at all fat intake levels. In addition, four-series LT decreased with increased total fat at low (n-3):(n-6) ratios (0 and 0.1). At high (n-3):(n-6) ratios (0.4 and 1.0) increasing dietary fat between the 5 and 15 g/100 g diets increased four-series LT synthesis, which reached a plateau between 15 and 20 g fat/100 g diets. Five-series LT production generally rose with increased (n-3) PUFA intake; this effect was most evident in mice fed the 5 g fat/100 g diet. Increasing total dietary fat at the three highest (n-3):(n-6) ratios (0.2, 0.4, 1.0) decreased five-series LT production. Elevated (n-3) PUFA and total fat intake exerted an additive effect with respect to prostacyclin (PGI(2)) production because it was reduced with increasing intakes of both. Compared with the mice consuming the no (n-3) 5 g/100 g diets, PGI(2) levels were reduced by 88% in mice consuming the highest total fat and (n-3) PUFA diets. At low fat intake (5 and 10 g/100 g diet), increasing the (n-3) PUFA intake was associated with a decrease in PGE(2) synthesis. However, unlike PGI(2), high fat intake reduced PGE(2) to basal levels with no further reduction induced by increased (n-3) PUFA intake.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

High-fat diet-induced muscle insulin resistance: relationship to visceral fat mass.

It has been variously hypothesized that the insulin resistance induced in rodents by a high-fat diet is due to increased visceral fat accumulation, to an increase in muscle triglyceride (TG) content, or to an effect of diet composition. In this study we used a number of interventions: fish oil, leptin, caloric restriction, and shorter duration of fat feeding, to try to disassociate an increase in visceral fat from muscle insulin resistance. Substituting fish oil (18% of calories) for corn oil in the high-fat diet partially protected against both the increase in visceral fat and muscle insulin resistance without affecting muscle TG content. Injections of leptin during the last 4 days of a 4-wk period on the high-fat diet partially reversed the increase in visceral fat and the muscle insulin resistance, while completely normalizing muscle TG. Restricting intake of the high-fat diet to 75% of ad libitum completely prevented the increase in visceral fat and muscle insulin resistance. Maximally insulin-stimulated glucose transport was negatively correlated with visceral fat mass (P < 0.001) in both the soleus and epitrochlearis muscles and with muscle TG concentration in the soleus (P < 0.05) but not in the epitrochlearis. Thus we were unable to dissociate the increase in visceral fat from muscle insulin resistance using a variety of approaches. These results support the hypothesis that an increase in visceral fat is associated with development of muscle insulin resistance.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1997

The role of low-fat diets and fat substitutes in body weight management: what have we learned from clinical studies?

The introduction of low-fat, high-complex carbohydrate diets far the prevention and treatment of obesity was based on the causal link established between dietary fat and body fatness. Observational and mechanistic studies show that because fat possesses a lower satiating power than carbohydrate and protein, a diet rich in fat can increase energy intake. The propensity to gain weight is enhanced in susceptible persons, particularly sedentary people who have a genetic predisposition to obesity. Low-fat diets cause weight loss proportional to pretreatment body weight in a dose dependent manner; that is, weight loss is correlated positively to the reduction in dietary fat content. A reduction of 10% fat energy produces an average 5-kg weight loss in obese persons. As with traditional caloric counting diets, obese persons lose weight only if they adhere to the prescribed low-fat diet. Failure to achieve a weight loss and to maintain it may be attributed in part to lack of adherence to the diet. After a major weight loss, an ad libitum low-fat diet program appears to be superior to caloric counting in maintaining the weight loss 2 years later. Replacing some fat with protein instead of carbohydrate may increase the weight loss further. Moreover, fat substitutes may make it easier to prevent and treat obesity by making the diet palatable. More randomized, controlled, long-term dietary intervention studies are warranted to identify the optimal diet composition for the treatment of obesity.

Appetite↗
PubMed2006

Relationship between fat cell size and number and fatty acid composition in adipose tissue from different fat depots in overweight/obese humans.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the body fat distribution and fat cell size and number in an overweight/obese population from both genders, and to determine the possible relationship between fat cell data from three different adipose tissue localizations (subcutaneous (SA), perivisceral and omental) and adipose tissue composition and dietary fatty acid. DESIGN: The sample consisted of 84 overweight/obese patients (29 men and 55 women) who have undergone abdominal surgery. The adipocyte size and total fat cell number was studied. Fat cell data were related with anthropometric, adipose tissue and subject's habitual diet fatty acid composition. MEASUREMENTS: Fat cell size was measured according to a Sjöström method from the three adipose depots. Total fat cell number was also calculated. The fatty acid composition of adipose tissue was examined by gas chromatography. The subjects diet was studied by a 7 days dietary record. RESULTS: Our data showed a negative relationship between the adipocyte size and the n-6 and n-3 fatty acids content of the SA adipose tissue (r=-0.286, P=0,040; r=-0.300, P=0.030) respectively, and the n-6 in the omental depots (r=-0.407, P=0.049) in the total population. Positive associations with the total of saturated (r=0.357, P=0.045) and negative (r=-0.544, P=0.001) with the n-9 fatty acids were observed when the relationship between the adipocyte number and the fatty acid composition of the different anatomical fat regions was studied. Dietary fatty acids composition positively correlated with fat cell size for the myristic acid (14:0) in men in the visceral depot (r=0.822, P=0.023), and for the saturated fatty acids (SFAs) in women in the omental depot (r=0.486, P=0.035). CONCLUSION: In the present study, for the first time in humans we found that n-3 and n-6 fatty acids are related to a reduced adipocyte size according to the depot localization. In contrast, adipose tissue and dietary SFAs significantly correlated with an increase in fat cell size and number. No significant associations were found between n-9 acids content and adipocyte size. However, n-9 adipose tissue fatty acids content was inversely associated with fat cell number showing that this type of fatty acid could limit hyperplasia in obese populations. The differences observed in the three different regions, perivisceral, omental and SA fat, indicate that this population adipose tissue have depot-specific differences.

Adipocytes↗
PubMed2000

Familial resemblance in fatness and fat distribution.

The purpose of the study was to estimate the degree of familial resemblance in anthropometric indicators of fatness and fat distribution. The sample consisted of 327 Caucasian participants from 102 nuclear families. Indicators of fatness included the body mass index (BMI), the sum of six skinfolds (SF6: triceps + biceps + medial calf + subscapular + suprailiac + abdominal), and waist circumference (WAIST), while indicators of fat distribution included WAIST adjusted for BMI (WAIST(ADJ)), the trunk-to-extremity skinfold ratio, adjusted for SF6 (TER(ADJ)), and the first principal component of skinfolds, adjusted for the mean skinfold of the individual (PC1). A general familial correlation model was fit to the data, and a series of nested reduced models were also fit so as to test hypotheses about familial resemblance. The hypothesis of no familial resemblance (all familial correlations are zero) was rejected for all phenotypes, indicating that fatness and fat distribution aggregate within families. For the three indicators of fatness (BMI, SF6, and WAIST), the sibling and parent-offspring correlations were significant. Further, there were no sex or generation differences in the familial correlations. For the three indicators of fat distribution (TER(ADJ), WAIST(ADJ), and PC1), there was no parent-offspring resemblance; sibling resemblance was significant for TER(ADJ) and PC1. Further, spouse resemblance was not significant for WAIST(ADJ), but was for TER(ADJ) and PC1. For both WAIST(ADJ) and PC1 there were significant sex differences in the familial correlations. A combination of models including no sex or generation differences and no spouse resemblance was the most parsimonious model for BMI, SF6, and TER(ADJ). The environmental model (all correlations equal) was the most parsimonious for WAIST, the model of no sibling resemblance was the most parsimonious for WAIST(ADJ), and the model of no spousal resemblance was the most parsimonious for PC1. Estimates of maximal heritability range from 46-60% for fatness and from 29-48% for fat distribution, independent of overall fatness, suggesting that in this sample the heritability of fatness is greater than that for fat distribution. Further, the pattern of correlations, which generally includes no spousal resemblance but significant parent-offspring and sibling correlations, suggests the role of genes in explaining at least part of the heritability. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 12:395-404, 2000. Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1990

Some determinants of body weight, subcutaneous fat, and fat distribution in 25-64 year old Swiss urban men and woman.

Data from a predominantly urban sample of 116 men and 130 women aged 25-64 years and collected in 1984/85 as a part of the Swiss WHO MONICA project, were analysed cross-sectionally to study the interrelationship between relative weight, subcutaneous fat and fat distribution, as well as the dependence of these anthropometric characteristics on behavioral and sociodemographic factors. Skinfold thicknesses were found to increase with age almost linearly in women, while in men they increased only before age 40 to 45. Subcutaneous fat was, but fat distribution was not, highly correlated with relative weight in both sexes. Alcohol consumption, healthy dietary habits (inversely), and exercise (inversely) were all significantly related to subcutaneous fat in men, while the relatively strongest predictors of female skinfold thicknesses were smoking (inversely), coffee consumption, and education (inversely). In multivariate analysis, environmental factors explained up to 10% of skinfold variance in male subjects and between 10 and 15% in females. Fat distribution was more influenced by environmental factors in men (about 8% of explained variance) than in women (about 4%). In men, truncal fat depended more on lifestyle that did upper arm fat, with smoking (directly) and exercise (inversely) being relatively most predictive of abdominal fat. We conclude that, although relative weight, subcutaneous fat, and fat distribution correlate intra-individually, they are not equivalent and interchangeable anthropometric characteristics. This is reflected by the varying associations of the three fatness indicators with age and environmental factors such as smoking, diet, exercise, and education. Gender seems to be an important modifying factor of environment-body fat-associations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adipose Tissue↗