title: Regional adiposity distribution and insulin resistance in young Chinese and European Australian women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lower than normal leg fat mass and excessive trunk fat mass are predictive of insulin resistance (IR) in obese women of European descent. Whether this regional adiposity relationship applies to moderately overweight women of Chinese descent is undetermined. Thus, the relationship between leg and trunk fat mass and IR of young (22.3 ± 0.3 years) sedentary Australian women of either Chinese (CW; n = 22) or European (EW; n = 36) descent was examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects underwent a maximal oxygen uptake test, blood draw, and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry to measure body composition. Fasting insulin levels and C-reactive protein (CRP) were assessed by ELISA and IR was calculated by HOMA-IR. Blood lipids and glucose were quantified by an automated enzymatic method (Cholestech LDX, USA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total, arm, trunk, and leg fat was significantly greater (p < 0.05) for the EW group, whereas IR was significantly higher for CW. Fasting lipids and glucose were within normal levels for both groups, whereas CRP levels were significantly higher in EW. For EW trunk fat mass was the only variable significantly correlated with IR (r = 0.40, p < 0.05). In contrast, for CW leg fat mass was significantly correlated with IR (r = − 0.49, p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Greater trunk fat mass was associated with higher IR of Australian women of European descent, whereas smaller leg fat mass was associated with higher IR of women of Chinese descent.
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australia. s.boutcher@unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: Stephen H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Boutcher
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gail Trapp
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Freund
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D050154:Adiposity / Q000208:ethnology*; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000208:ethnology*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000208:ethnology*; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D008055:Lipids; D002097:C-Reactive Protein