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Objective: Unlike visceral adipose tissue (VAT), the association between subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and obesity-related morbidity is controversial. In patients with type 2 diabetes, we assessed whether this variability can be explained by a putative favorable, distinct association between abdominal superficial SAT (SSAT) (absolute amount or its proportion) and cardiometabolic parameters.Research Design and Methods: We performed abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 73 patients with diabetes (mean age 58 years, 83% were men) and cross-sectionally analyzed fat distribution at S1-L5, L5-L4, and L3-L2 levels. Patients completed food frequency questionnaires, and subgroups had 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and 24-h ambulatory electrocardiography.Results: Women had higher %SSAT (37 vs. 23% in men; P < 0.001) despite a similar mean waist circumference. Fasting plasma glucose (P = 0.046) and HbA(1c) (P = 0.006) were both lower with increased tertile of absolute SSAT. In regression models adjusted for age, waist circumference, and classes of medical treatments used in this patient population, increased %SSAT was significantly associated with decreased HbA(1c) (β = -0.317; P = 0.013), decreased daytime ambulatory blood pressure (β = -0.426; P = 0.008), and increased HDL cholesterol (β = 0.257; P = 0.042). In contrast, increased percent of deep SAT (DSAT) was associated with increased HbA(1c) (β = 0.266; P = 0.040) and poorer heart rate variability parameters (P = 0.030). Although total fat and energy intake were not correlated with fat tissue distribution, increased intake of trans fat tended to be associated with total SAT (r = 0.228; P = 0.05) and DSAT (r = 0.20; P = 0.093), but not with SSAT.Conclusions: Abdominal SAT is composed of two subdepots that associate differently with cardiometabolic parameters. Higher absolute and relative distribution of fat in abdominal SSAT may signify beneficial cardiometabolic effects in patients with type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Distinct weight loss dietary strategies are associated with changes in specific food groups.Objective: To address the effect of changes in specific weight of food groups on weight loss in a 2-year low-fat, Mediterranean, low-carbohydrate intervention trial (DIRECT).Methods: We assessed changes in the intake of 12 food groups among 322 participants (body mass index [BMI] = 31 kg/m(2); age = 52 years; 86% men), using a validated electronic food frequency questionnaire.Results: The weight of the 3592.9 ± 1558 (g/d ± SD) of baseline food consumed consisted mainly of liquids, excluding water (32.6% of total weight of food); vegetables (18.8%), fruits (17.7%), dairy (9.0%), meat (7.7%), and bread/cereal/pasta/potatoes (7.1%). Participants significantly reduced food intake by 283.73 ± 1342 (g/d ± SD) at 6 months and by 963.36 ± 1869 (g/d ± SD) at 24 months (p < 0.05 as compared with baseline). Food weight changes were similar across diet groups (p = 0.366), whereas 6-month body weight loss was -4.6 ± 4.4 kg, -4.7 ± 4.9 kg, and -6.4 ± 6.6 kg for low-fat, Mediterranean, and low-carbohydrate groups, respectively; p < 0.026). In multivariate regression models, adjusted for age, sex, baseline body weight, and changes in weight intake of 12 food groups (g/d), independent dietary predictors (standardized-β) at 6 months (rapid weight loss phase) were as follows: decreased consumption of sweets and cakes (β = 0.493; p = 0.008) in the low-fat group, tendency toward increased crude legumes (β = -0.196; p = 0.061) in the Mediterranean group, and increased vegetable intake (β = -0.249; p = 0.018) in the low-carbohydrate diet group. In the entire group, in models further adjusted for diet type, leading predictors for rapid weight loss phase were as follows: increased vegetables by ~140 g/d (β = -0.116; p = 0.045) and decreased intake of sweets and cakes by ~30 g/d (β = 0.162; p = 0.010). Universal predictors for 2-year successful weight loss in the entire group were as follows: increased intake of vegetables (β = -0.192; p = 0.007) and meat (β = -0.146; p = 0.026) and decreased intake of eggs (β = 0.187; p = 0.003), processed legumes (β = 0.195; p = 0.002), and beverages (β = 0.135; p = 0.032).Conclusions: Two-year weight loss is associated with a decrease of ~1 kg of total food consumed and may be achieved by a variety of changes in specific food groups within different diet strategies. Universal predictors of successful weight loss in the rapid weight loss phase across all diet strategies are increasing the weight of intake of vegetables and decreasing the weight of intake of sweets and cakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]