We have studied the accretion of lipids in growing mice. We measured the rates of synthesis and degradation of triglycerides in epididymal fat pads of mice maintained for 44 days on a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet (I) or a high-fat, lowcarbohydrate diet (II).2 H2O was added to the drinking water for 14 days. Rates of incorporation/washout of 2 H to/from C1 of triglyceride-glycerol showed that triglyceride synthesis was greater than triglyceride degradation (net triglyceride balance was ϳ2.5 times greater in II than in I). The data also show that the contribution of de novo lipogenesis to triglyceride-bound palmitate was ϳ3 times greater in I than in II. This was consistent with a greater relative intake of carbohydrate in I vs. II. The rates of incorporation and washout of newly synthesized ( 2 H-labeled) palmitate into and from triglycerides were also measured. Those data suggested a remodeling of triglyceridebound fatty acids. On measuring the profile of triglyceridebound fatty acids, we observed a decrease in the relative abundance of triglyceride-bound palmitate and stearate and an increase in triglyceride-bound oleate and linoleate. This was observed in I and II. In summary, diet substantially affects the deposition and modeling of triglycerides in adipose tissue during growth. 2 H2O can be used to examine the mechanisms responsible for the accumulation of triglycerides, e.g., factors that affect 1) triglyceride synthesis and degradation and 2) the source of fatty acids that are used in esterification. deuterium; stable isotopes; lipid metabolism; pediatric obesity; insulin resistance THERE IS AN ALARMING INCREASE in the number of reported cases of pediatric obesity (26, 32). Like obese adults, obese children present with metabolic abnormalities (e.g., impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia) that are associated with an increased risk of developing a chronic disease (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular disease) (8,9,21,24,32). A special concern regarding obese children is that many will remain obese as adults, which further increases the likelihood of developing a chronic disease. Presumably, the development of effective treatments for pediatric obesity will benefit from knowledge of how specific biochemical reactions drive lipid accumulation during growth.We hypothesized that, during growth, the nature of one's caloric intake will affect the rate of, and the mechanism of, fat accumulation. For example, as the ratio of dietary fat to carbohydrate increases, the rate of triglyceride accretion will increase. Also, the relative amount of carbohydrate in the diet will affect the relative contribution of de novo lipogenesis to the pool of triglyceride-bound fatty acids. We developed the use of 2 H 2 O to measure the rates of the reactions involved in triglyceride accumulation (e.g., triglyceride synthesis and triglyceride degradation and the contribution of de novo lipogenesis to the pool of triglyceride-bound fatty acids). This approach also allows us to determine the rate of remodeling of fatty acids that are bo...