Health Claims

Using genetic data, researchers found no evidence that body fat percentage directly causes diabetes, heart disease, or changes in cholesterol/triglycerides in men or women.

A specific gene variant (rs998584) linked to higher body fat in men also led to more fat in the hips/thighs, less belly fat, and lower risk of diabetes and heart disease.

In women, most genes linked to body fat (75%) didn't affect cholesterol, triglycerides, diabetes, or heart disease risk.

In men, most genes linked to body fat (68%) didn't affect cholesterol, triglycerides, diabetes, or heart disease risk.

Researchers discovered 7 new genes related to body fat in men and 10 new ones in women that weren't known before to affect body fat or related health issues.

Scientists found different sets of genes related to body fat in men and women; men have 195 genes linked to body fat, women have 174, and only 38 genes are common to both groups.

Using existing CT scans for belly fat analysis with QCT doesn't add any extra radiation, making it a safe way to check body fat without extra scans.

When testing the upper body fat prediction equations in women, the average difference from DXA measurements was small (0.47%), with most predictions falling within a range of -6.43% to 7.38%.

When testing the belly fat prediction equations in men, the average difference from DXA measurements was small (1.31%), with most predictions falling within a range of -4.08% to 6.71%.

For Chinese men, belly fat measurements from the lowest CT slice can predict lower body fat with 65% accuracy, while for women, this prediction also requires age information and has 51% accuracy.

For Chinese women, belly fat measurements from a CT slice at the L3/L4 level combined with BMI can predict upper body fat distribution with 86% accuracy compared to DXA scans.

For Chinese men, combining belly fat measurements from a CT slice at the L1/L2 level with BMI can predict upper body fat distribution with 90% accuracy compared to DXA scans.

When measuring belly fat volume, QCT and DXA scans give very similar results in Chinese men and women, with men showing almost perfect agreement and women showing very strong agreement.

For Chinese women, using belly fat measurements from a CT slice at the L5/S1 level along with body weight can predict total body fat with 81% accuracy compared to DXA scans.

For Chinese men, combining belly fat measurements from a single CT slice at the L1/L2 level with BMI can accurately estimate total body fat, accounting for 83% of the variation seen in DXA scans.

In Chinese men and women, measuring belly fat with QCT scans is closely related to total body fat measured by DXA scans, with the strength of the relationship varying by sex and where the belly scan is taken.

More than half of diabetes cases in middle-aged men could be prevented if they avoided gaining over 7 kg of weight. This finding is from the abstract summary - full study details were not available

Middle-aged men who lose over 4.1 cm in hip size have 1.5 times the risk of diabetes compared to those with stable hip size. This finding is from the abstract summary - full study details were not available

Middle-aged men who gain 14.6 cm or more around their waist have 1.7 times the risk of diabetes, even when their overall weight change is considered. This finding is from the abstract summary - full study details were not available

Gaining fat around the abdomen increases diabetes risk in middle-aged men, even when considering overall weight changes. This finding is from the abstract summary - full study details were not available

For every extra kilogram of weight gained, middle-aged men have a 7.3% higher chance of developing diabetes. This finding is from the abstract summary - full study details were not available

When waist size is considered, body mass index does not relate to the odds of having diabetes.

People with larger waist sizes or higher body mass index have greater odds of having high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, and metabolic syndrome even after accounting for the other measure and other factors.

People with larger waist sizes tend to have higher blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar levels even when their body mass index is the same, and the same is true for people with higher body mass index when their waist size is considered.