Can body fat patterning be changed?

Short- and long-term weight reduction programmes both resulted in a significant decrease in the waist/hip ratio (WHR) among obese premenopausal women. In matched groups of women with gynoid and android obesity, the latter demonstrated a greater decrease in WHR after 1 year's weight reduction and, at the same level of body weight loss, a consistently lower decrease in the lean body mass. Gluteal fat cells were found to empty at a slower rate than those in the abdominal region, particularly in gynoid obesity. After 1 year's weight reduction, the decrease in WHR correlated significantly with decreases in body weight, blood pressure and metabolic variables. Six months' physical training with and without reduction of body weight resulted in a significant decrease in WHR, while one-leg exercise caused a local decrease in the circumference of the trained leg. Reduction of flatulence in obese men was also found to be associated with decreased WHR.