Abdominal obesity: causal factor or simply a symptom of obesity-related health risk

Figures & data

Figure 1 Flow diagram of the enrollment and classification of study participants.

Notes: G_D = group with greater AF reduction, due to dietary restriction; G_E = group with greater AF reduction, due to exercise; L_D = group with lesser AF reduction, due to dietary restriction; L_E = group with lesser AF reduction, due to exercise; M_D = group with medium AF reduction, due to dietary restriction; M_E = group with medium AF reduction, due to exercise.
Abbreviations: AF, abdominal fat; BMI, body mass index.

Table 1 The outcomes, by groups, at baseline and week 12

Outcome parameters	GD (n=24)			GE (n=20)			LE (n=23)			GD vs GE	GE vs LE
	Baseline	12 week	Change	Baseline	12 week	Change	Baseline	12 week	Change	P-value	P-value
Abdominal fat area
TAFA (cm^2)	408.4±23.5	288.0±23.5	−120.4*	425.3±25.4	297.4±24.6	−127.9*	412.7±27.2	401.2±27.2	−11.5*	NS	GE > LE *
VAFA (cm^2)	169.4±13.6	123.2±12.1	−46.2*	198.5±15.7	140.0±13.5	−58.5*	169.5±10.5	158.1±9.4	−11.4*	NS	GE > LE *
SAFA (cm^2)	239.0±16.2	164.8±14.6	−74.2*	226.7±18.5	157.4±16.4	−69.3*	243.2±23.9	243.1±25.1	−0.1	NS	GE > LE *
Intervention adherence
TEI (kcal/day)	2,382.5±109.2	1,566.3±81.4	−816.2*	2,401.6±128.7	2,379.6±95.8	−22.0	2,531.4±45.3	2,505.6±52.8	−25.8	GD > GE *	NS
TEE (kcal/day)	2,512.5±45.1	2,482.7±49.3	−29.8	2,482.6±49.3	2,728.6±58.2	+246.0*	2,384.6±57.8	2,567.9±63.2	+183.3*	GD < GE *	NS
Anthropometric and body composition
Weight (kg)	87.0±2.6	76.6±2.5	−10.4*	87.9±3.0	82.7±2.9	−5.2*	86.9±3.2	85.9±3.2	−1.0	GD > GE *	GE > LE *
% Body fat	29.5±1.1	24.1±1.1	−5.4*	30.3±1.4	26.2±1.3	−4.1*	29.3±1.6	27.8±1.6	−1.5*	GD > GE *	GE > LE *
TLM (kg)	58.±1±1.6	54.6±1.4	−3.5*	58.6±1.9	58.3±1.6	−0.3*	58.9±2.1	59.3±2.2	+0.4	GD < GE *	NS
Blood analysis
SBP (mmHg)	127.1±3.0	113.2±2.8	−13.9*	138.7±3.6	135.3±3.4	−3.4	132.5±4.1	126.3±3.7	−6.2*	GD > GE *	NS
DBP (mmHg)	85.9±2.6	75.4±2.3	−10.5*	90.1±3.1	86.6±2.7	−3.5	89.0±2.5	86.1±2.5	−2.9	GD > GE *	NS
HDLC (mg/dL)	49.5±2.0	50.6±2.1	+1.1	50.5±2.1	58.4±2.5	+7.9*	49.8±2.4	54.4±2.8	+4.6*	GD < GE *	NS
TG (mg/dL)	157.4±17.5	83.4±9.2	−74.0*	166.6±20.6	117.1±10.8	−49.5*	155.7±16.2	119.4±14.6	−36.3*	NS	NS
FPG (mg/dL)	104.9±5.6	94.0±2.6	−10.9*	101.8±6.6	96.3±3.1	−5.5*	100.3±2.5	100.2±2.8	−0.1	NS	NS
HbA1c (%)	5.60±0.24	5.26±0.12	−0.34*	5.45±0.29	5.27±0.15	−0.18*	5.37±0.14	5.23±0.09	−0.14	NS	NS
HOMA-IR	2.24±0.25	1.10±0.20	−1.14*	1.87±0.30	1.38±0.24	−0.49*	2.70±0.34	2.23±0.28	−0.47	GD > GE *	NS
UA (mg/dL)	6.47±0.20	5.95±0.20	−0.52*	6.70±0.23	6.69±0.24	−0.01	7.14±0.34	7.18±0.33	+0.04	GD > GE *	NS
CRE (mg/dL)	0.82±0.14	0.83±0.14	+0.01	0.87±0.10	0.83±0.10	−0.04*	0.80±0.19	0.81±0.17	+0.01	GD < GE *	GE > LE *
ALT (U/L)	41.9±4.3	25.7±2.2	−16.2*	41.4±5.1	24.9±2.5	−16.5*	55.2±7.2	45.5±6.7	−9.7*	NS	NS
γGT (U/L)	58.7±7.3	28.9±4.7	−29.8*	66.0±8.6	44.0±5.5	−22.0*	50.2±6.4	38.1±3.9	−12.1*	NS	NS
hs-CRP (mg/L)	0.15±0.03	0.12±0.02	−0.03*	0.19±0.03	0.10±0.02	−0.09*	0.20±0.04	0.15±0.03	−0.05	GD < GE *	NS
Leptin (ng/mL)	6.90±1.61	2.64±0.60	−4.26*	5.35±1.91	2.73±0.71	−2.62*	7.31±1.41	4.32±0.97	−2.99*	NS	NS
Adiponectin (μg/mL)	3.77±0.26	4.10±0.38	+0.33	3.44±0.30	4.70±0.44	+1.26*	3.16±0.31	3.97±0.25	+0.81*	GD < GE *	NS
TNF-α (pg/mL)	1.53±0.26	0.74±0.15	−0.79*	1.89±0.32	1.41±0.18	−0.48*	1.78±0.23	1.51±0.16	−0.27	NS	NS
IL-6 (pg/mL)	1.31±0.17	1.10±0.11	−0.21	1.78±0.20	1.15±0.13	−0.63*	1.63±0.18	1.22±0.13	−0.41*	GD < GE *	NS
VO2 max (mL/kg/min)	28.5±1.2	32.3±1.2	+3.8*	28.0±1.4	35.7±1.4	+7.7*	27.7±1.5	31.6±1.3	+3.9*	GD < GE *	GE > LE *

Notes: G_D = group with greater AF reduction, due to dietary restriction; G_E = group with greater AF reduction, due to exercise; L_E = group with less AF reduction, due to exercise. Values are presented as the group means ± SE.

* Significant difference between groups (P<0.05). The baseline score also did not show significant difference between groups.

Abbreviations: γGT, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase; AF, abdominal fat; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; CRE, creatinine; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; FPG, fasting plasma glucose; G_D, greater abdominal fat reduction group due to dietary restriction; G_E, greater abdominal fat reduction group due to exercise; HbA_1c hemoglobin A_1c; HDLC, high density lipoprotein cholesterol; HOMA-IR, insulin resistance by homeostasis model assessment; hs-CRP, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; IL-6, interleukin 6; L_E, less abdominal fat reduction group due to exercise; NS, not significant; SAFA, subcutaneous abdominal fat area; SBP, systolic blood pressure; SE, standard error; TAFA, total abdominal fat area; TEE, total daily energy expenditure; TEI, total daily energy intake; TG, triglyceride; TLM, total lean mass; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor alpha; VAFA, visceral abdominal fat area; VO₂ max, maximal oxygen uptake; UA, uric acid.