Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of dietary intake on LDL-cholesterol and visceral fat in pre-and postmenopausal obese women during a weight reduction program and a one-year follow-up period. The subjects were 117 middle-aged obese women (78 pre-and 29 postmenopausal) who participated in a weight reduction program for three months. Before the program, the visceral fat area and level of LDL-cholesterol were significantly higher in postmenopausal than in premenopausal women. After three months, the caloric intake decreased significantly and both the body weight and visceral fat area decreased in both the pre-and postmenopausal women. The changes in the LDL-cholesterol level correlated significantly with the changes in the visceral fat area. In addition, multiple regression analysis revealed a significant positive association between the change in the LDL-cholesterol level and both the change in the sugar intake and the percentage of energy as fat in postmenopausal women. One year after the end of the weight reduction program, 20 subjects (11 pre- and 9 postmenopausal) participated in a follow-up study. The caloric intake per standard weight had increased significantly in both groups. In addition, both the body weight and visceral fat area had increased, but the increases were not significant in either group. The change in abdominal total fat area and visceral fat area showed a significant positive correlation with the change in the sugar intake only in postmenopausal women. In conclusion, these data suggest that both the LDL-cholesterol level and visceral fat area are higher in obese postmenopausal women than in premenopausal women. In addition, the change in the LDL-cholesterol level is correlated with both the change in the visceral fat area and the intake of sugar during weight reduction, while the change in the area of visceral fat is more closely associated with the change in sugar intake than with the change in caloric intake during both the weight reduction period and the subsequent follow-up period.
