Research
Hormonal
Estrogen directs fat distribution to subcutaneous gluteo-femoral depots in premenopausal women, which is protective against cardiometabolic risk, whereas estrogen deficiency (menopause) shifts distribution to visceral fat, increasing risk.
For women, where fat is stored matters more than total fat. Estrogen protects by storing fat in hips/thighs. After menopause, estrogen drops, and fat moves to the belly, increasing health risks. Managing visceral fat through diet and exercise is critical post-menopause.
StrongSupportsVERY_HIGH confidence
larger gluteo-femoral fat stores are protective... oestrogen appears to be key in maintaining the sex-specific fat distribution pattern... ovariectomy leads to an increase in visceral fat and a loss of subcutaneous fat in females
Why this rating
Supported by extensive human epidemiological data and consistent animal model findings regarding estrogen's role.
Source
Sex differences in obesity and the regulation of energy homeostasis
J C Lovejoy et al. · Obesity Reviews · 2009
DOI 10.1111/j.1467-789x.2008.00529.x
narrative_reviewCited 434×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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