Hormonal
Subcutaneous abdominal fat is a stronger predictor of insulin resistance than visceral fat and retains independent significance after adjusting for visceral fat.
Don't just measure your waistline. If you are carrying weight, where it sits matters. Subcutaneous fat (the soft fat under the skin) is a major driver of insulin resistance, potentially more so than deep visceral fat. Focus on overall body composition and muscle health rather than just trying to shrink your waist circumference, as muscle quality (attenuation) is also a key independent factor.
In stepwise multiple regression, subcutaneous abdominal fat retained significance after adjusting for visceral fat, while the converse was not found.
Why this rating
Gold-standard glucose clamp technique used on a large, diverse cohort (lean to obese).
Source
Subcutaneous Abdominal Fat and Thigh Muscle Composition Predict Insulin Sensitivity Independently of Visceral Fat
Bret H. Goodpaster et al. · Diabetes · 1997
DOI 10.2337/diacare.46.10.1579
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