How belly fat differs from thigh fat

How belly fat differs from thigh fat
Washington: The genes active in a person`s belly fat are significantly different from those in his or her thigh fat, researchers say.


Men tend to store fat in the abdominal area, but don`t usually have much in the way of hips or thighs. Women, on the other hand, are more often pear-shaped - storing more fat on their hips and thighs than in the belly.

The answer to the question about why are men and women shaped differently still isn`t clear, but it`s an issue worth investigating, says Steven Smith from Sanford-Burnham Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes.

That`s because belly fat is associated with higher risks of heart disease and diabetes. On the other hand, hip and thigh fats don`t seem to play a special role in these conditions.




They found that the genes operating in a person`s thigh fat are hugely different from those in his or her belly fat. For men, 125 genes are expressed differently in the belly than in the thighs. For women, it`s 218 genes.


Why are these homeobox genes important for fat?


In the course of their work, Smith and his team also isolated stem cells from belly and thigh fat and grew them in laboratory dishes. This was a nice control because fat cells in a dish aren`t influenced by nerves, hormones, or other outside signals.


In other words, belly fat and thigh fat are genetically destined for their final location during development. It`s not a difference that`s acquired over time, as a result of diet or environmental exposure.

Medically speaking, says Smith, it`s important to understand these differences and how they arise.

