Is preferential fat deposition in subcutaneous versus visceral depots associated with lower risk for insulin resistance?
Regional distribution of fat favoring subcutaneous depots over visceral adipose tissue is associated with a lower risk for insulin resistance.
These data demonstrate that after adjustment for BMI and VAT mass, sc abdominal and thigh fat are protective for insulin resistance, whereas VAT, after adjustment for SAT and BMI, has the opposite effect. Whether causal in nature or a marker of underlying pathology, these results clarify that regional distribution of fat-favoring sc depots is associated with lower risk for insulin resistance.
McLaughlin et al. (2011) studied this question.