title: Weight-loss diet alone or combined with resistance training induces different regional visceral fat changes in obese women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quantification of abdominal fat and its regional distribution has become increasingly important in assessing the cardiovascular risk.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effects of 16 weeks of a hypocaloric diet with a caloric restriction of 500 Kcal per day (WL) or the same dietary intervention plus resistance training (WL+RT) on regional variation of abdominal visceral (visceral adipose tissue (VAT)) and subcutaneous (subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT)) fat loss. Second, to identify the single-image that best represents total magnetic resonance imaging measurements of total VAT and SAT volume before and after WL or WL+RT intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 34 obese (body mass index: 30-40 kg m(-2)) women, aged 40-60 years, were randomized to three groups: a control group (C; n = 9), a diet group (WL; n = 12) and a diet plus resistance training group (WL+RT; n = 13) with the same caloric restriction as group WL and a 16-week supervised whole-body RT of two sessions per week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  WL+RT programs lead to significant changes in the location of highest mean VAT area from L3-L4 to L2-L3 discal level from pre- to post- intervention, whereas after WL the greatest relative VAT losses were located at L5-S1. Similar decreases in the SAT areas at all discal levels were observed after WL and WL+RT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Different weight loss regimes may lead to different distribution of VAT. Sites located significantly above (cranial to) L4-L5 (that is, ∼ 5-6 cm above L4-L5 or at L2-L3 discal level) provided superior prediction of total abdominal VAT volume, whereas more caudal slices provide better prediction of subcutaneous fat, not only before but also after either WL or WL+RT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Clinic of San Miguel, Navarra, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Idoate
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ibañez
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Gorostiaga
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García-Unciti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martínez-Labari
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Izquierdo
mesh_terms: D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000473:pathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D055070:Resistance Training; D012307:Risk Factors; D015431:Weight Loss