A prospective study of body fat distribution and weight loss.

Previous studies have suggested an association between adipose tissue cellularity and body fat distribution, and between adipose tissue cellularity and ability to lose weight. To determine whether there was an association between body fat distribution and ability to lose weight, we prospectively studied 187 severely obese women. The women were all 50 percent or more above ideal body weight, with personal physician documentation of no known major illnesses. Weights were recorded at the beginning and end of a 3-week hospitalization and every 3 months following hospitalization, for up to 2 years. The ratio of waist girth to hip girth (WHR) was used as an index of body fat distribution. A statistical analysis which adjusted for age and weight on admission did not find any association between WHR and weight loss during hospitalization, or at any time up to 2 years after hospital discharge. We conclude that the WHR index of body fat distribution is not a useful prognostic indicator of weight change for severely obese women with refractory obesity.