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Changes in body composition and metabolic disease risk

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 73, pages 231–235 (2019)Cite this article

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Abstract

As individuals gain weight, they increase the amount of fat that they accrue on their body. This causes adipocytes to enlarge and increases not only subcutaneous fat but also deposits fat in other vulnerable areas of the body. This ectopic fat is deposited in the intra-abdominal visceral fat depot, in muscle, in the liver and in the beta cells. Fat in these locations initiates a dysfunctional state in these insulin-sensitive tissues leading to insulin resistance, the appearance of the Metabolic Syndrome, and an increased risk of developing both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A loss of weight and with it a loss of fat decreases this risk.

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Acknowledgements

This presentation was given at the 11th International Symposium on In Vivo Body Composition Studies held on June 25-27th, 2018 at Columbia University Medical Center in New York.

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  1. Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Columbia Institute of Human Nutrition, New York, NY, USA

    Xavier Pi-Sunyer

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Correspondence to Xavier Pi-Sunyer.

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Pi-Sunyer, X. Changes in body composition and metabolic disease risk. Eur J Clin Nutr 73, 231–235 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-018-0320-x

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