title: Abdominal obesity.
abstract: The application of magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography to obesity research has changed the focus from body mass and skinfold thickness to abdominal fat mass and visceral adiposity. Intra-abdominal fat constitutes less than 20% of total body fat but is a major determinant of fasting and postprandial lipid availability because of its physiological (lipolytic rate and insulin resistance) and anatomical (portal drainage) properties. High levels of serum free fatty acids, as a result of abdominal obesity, cause excessive tissue lipid accumulation and contribute to dyslipidaemia, beta cell dysfunction, and hepatic and peripheral insulin resistance. An individual's risk of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease relates closely to the inheritance of central obesity and susceptibility to tissue lipotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism in the Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Carey
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000273:Adipose Tissue; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D009765:Obesity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D011859:Radiography