Objective: To elucidate early change of intra-abdominal fat in response to calorie restriction in patients with obesity by weekly evaluation using a dual bioelectrical impedance analysis (Dual BIA) instrument. Design and Methods: For 67 Japanese patients with obesity, diabetes, or metabolic syndrome, intraabdominal fat area (IAFA), initially with both Dual BIA and computed tomography (CT), and in subsequent weeks of calorie restriction, with Dual BIA were measured. Results: IAFA by Dual BIA (Dual BIA-IAFA) correlated well with IAFA by CT (CT-IAFA) in obese patients (r ¼ 0.821, P < .0001, n ¼ 67). Ten males and 9 females (age 49.0 6 14.4 years, BMI 33.2 6 7.3 kg/m 2 ) lost more than 5% of baseline body weight (BW) in 3 weeks, and their Dual BIA-IAFA, BW, and WC decreased by 18.9%, 5.3%, and 3.8%, respectively (P < .05, ANCOVA). Conclusion: Dual BIA instrument could detect the weekly change of Dual BIA-IAFA under calorie restriction in obese patients and demonstrated a substantially larger change of IAFA compared with changes of BW and WC in early weeks. This observation corroborates the significance of evaluating IAFA as a biomarker for obesity, and indicates the clinical usefulness of the Dual BIA instrument.

Objective: To investigate the significance of intra-abdominal fat area (IAFA) on new onset of individual components of the metabolic syndrome: high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, or hyperglycemia. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study using checkup data of a hospital from 1994 to 2010. Of 25,255 subjects, we examined 1,380 Japanese, who underwent computed tomography to measure IAFA and had no metabolic syndrome components at baseline. Results: During 3.6 years of the mean follow-up period, one of metabolic syndrome components occurred in 752 subjects. Of three components, high blood pressure was more prevalent. The multiple Cox regression analysis disclosed that IAFA is significantly associated with onset of metabolic syndrome components (HR: 1.05 per 10 cm2, 95%CI: 1.03–1.07). This finding was independent of BMI, and significant even in non-obese individuals with body mass index <25 kg/m2. Conclusions: MERLOT study demonstrates that IAFA is an independent predictor for new onset of individual components of the metabolic syndrome, even in non-obese healthy Japanese.

ent, and the herbal combination appears to slowly improve the FBG concentrations over a period of continuous use. Surprisingly, this effect was rapidly reversed when the treatment ceased, as blood glucose retuned to pretreatment levels within 15-20 days. Those subjects who started to take the herbal remedy again after the withdrawal period showed a more rapid decline in their FBG concentrations than when they first started the treatment. It is unclear from this study whether the FBG would return to euglycemia over a longer period of time, but it appears that the rate of decline slows and may plateau before this was reached.This study strongly suggests that this combination of traditional Chinese herbs, together with chromium, may be effective in improving glycemic control in people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The mechanism of action remains unclear and may be a combination of an increase in insulin responsiveness and glucose uptake. The relative importance of the individual component herbs is also unknown, and we are undertaking further studies to investigate this. MECHELE COLLINS, BSC (HONS)

SummaryObjectiveTo investigate the effects of monthly feedback of changes in visceral fat area (VFA) as measured by dual bioelectrical impedance analysis method and the importance of VFA in individuals with obesity.MethodsThirty‐eight Japanese patients with obesity underwent VFA measurements. The feedback group was given feedback on VFA measurements each month for 4 months. The control group underwent VFA measurements at the beginning and end of the study but was not informed of the results. All the study participants completed eating behaviour and weight efficacy lifestyle questionnaires.ResultsMean age was 53.9 (14.3) years; mean body mass index was 30.6 (4.3) kg m−2. At the 4‐month follow‐up, there was no significant difference in VFA reduction between the control and feedback groups (−4.4% vs. −3.0%; 95% CI, −3.8 to 5.5). In post‐hoc analysis using the overall group irrespective of allocation, changes of eating style were significantly associated with a reduction in VFA at 4 months (p = 0.034).ConclusionsMonthly feedback on changes in VFA does not reduce VFA. More frequent feedback may be required. In post‐hoc analysis, changes of eating style were associated with a reduction in VFA.