Research
Hormonal
Central (intra-abdominal) fat is significantly more strongly linked to insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease than peripheral (gluteal/subcutaneous) fat.
Prioritize strategies that reduce visceral fat, such as aerobic exercise and stress management, as this type of fat is more metabolically active and harmful than subcutaneous fat.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Central (intra-abdominal) depots of fat are much more strongly linked to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease than are peripheral (gluteal/subcutaneous) fat depots.
Why this rating
Supported by large epidemiologic studies and consistent findings across ethnic groups.
Source
Obesity and insulin resistance
Barbara B. Kahn et al. · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 2000
DOI 10.1172/jci10842
narrative_reviewCited 3,214×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Obesity causes insulin resistance primarily through the expansion of adipose tissue mass, which acts as an endocrine organ secreting factors like TNF-alpha, FFAs, and leptin that impair insulin signaling in muscle and liver.Good
- Adipose tissue acts as an endocrine organ, secreting hormones like leptin and cytokines like TNF-alpha, which directly impair insulin signaling in peripheral tissues.Good
Related findings · Hormonal
- Initial treatment for type 2 diabetes should be a combination of metformin and either an SGLT-2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist to achieve cardiorenal protection, rather than monotherapy or older agents like sulfonylureas.Strong
- For patients with specific monogenic obesity syndromes (leptin deficiency, POMC/PCSK1/LEPR mutations), targeted pharmacotherapy (recombinant leptin or setmelanotide) is highly effective and should be prioritized, unlike in polygenic obesity.Strong
- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →