Project Description Narrative:
Visceral obesity with visceral adipose tissue (VAT, or central/abdominal fat) accumulation is associated with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other diseases caused in part by inflammation. To help control and prevent these health conditions, emphasis has largely been put on weight loss. However, adipose tissue distribution in peripheral skin depots may not be as harmful as previously thought, and may, in fact, be protective.
If findings do point to this, they may suggest that "all obesity is not equal." Less emphasis could be placed on weight loss for certain individuals, and instead limited health care resources could be shifted to better control other cardiovascular risk factors that can be present independent of obesity.
Through this award, researchers aim to identify how peripheral adipose tissue (SAT, or subcutaneous fat) protects against metabolic diseases compared to visceral adipose tissue (VAT, or central/abdominal fat) in healthy obese persons, resulting in lower rates of metabolic diseases, such as diabetes.