Abstract
A group of 11 obese women (from 130 % of ideal weight and higher)volunteered to partici-pate in a study designed to reduce weight in a 92-day program of aerobic exercise. Before and after the weight reduction period, body fat indlces were measured by deuterium oxide (D2O) dilution and by skinfold anthoropometry. Changes in internal body fat and subcutaneous fat were calculated. Mean weight loss was 3.6±1.2 kg, and internal body fat and subcutaneous fat were 1.8±1.3 kg (21.2 %) and 3.0±0.9 kg (16.0 %), respectively. Highly significant correlation were obtained between changes in internal body fat and total body fat (r = 0.856, p<0.001). However, changes in internal body fat were not significantly associated with changes in waist to hip ratio (WHR). In the present study, we found that changes in total body fat were significantly related to changes in internal body fat during treatment of obesity with aerobic exercise. However, changes in internal body fat were not valid estimates of changes in body fat distribution in relation to changes in WHR.
