Vol.3, No.2, 73-76 (2011) Health
doi:10.4236/health.2011.32013
Copyright © 2011 SciRes. Openly accessible at http://www.scirp.org/journal/HEALTH/
A pilot study in relationship among changes in visceral
fat area, waist circumference and body weight in
Japanese freshmen students
Da-Hong Wang1*, Nobuyuki Miyatake2, Michiko Kogashiwa3, Takeyuki Numata4, Keiki Ogino1
1Department of Public Health, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama,
Japan; *Corresponding Author:
2Department of Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan;
3Okayama Gakuin University, Kurashiki, Japan;
4Okayama Southern Institute of Health, Okayama Health Foundation, Okayama, Japan.
Received 6 January 2011; revised 28 January 2011; accepted 30 January 2011
ABSTRACT
We investigated the relationship among delta
(delta represents changes in parameters) vis-
ceral fat area, waist circumference and body
weight in Japanese freshmen students. Visceral
fat was measured at the umbilical level using
computerized tomography scanning at baseline
study and 6 months later. Body weight and
height, as well as waist circumference were also
measured. We found that visceral fat area, waist
circumference, and body weight significantly
correlated with each other at baseline, and 6
months later, delt a visceral fat area and changes
in % visceral fat area significantly correlated
with delta waist circumference and delta body
weight in female and in total subjects. In addi-
tion, based on the predictive linear equations
from the regression analysis, we found that 1kg
of delt a body weight corresponded to 0.83 cm of
delt a waist circumferenc e, and 1kg of delt a body
weight and 1cm of delta waist circumference
corresponded to 9.41% and 7.80% of changes in
visceral fat area, respectively, in total subjects.
The present results suggest that delta visceral
fat area is closely related to delta body weight
and delta waist circumference in Japanese
freshmen students.
Keywords: Visceral Fat Area; Body Weight;
Waist Circumference; Predictive Equation;
University Students
1. INTRODUCTION
Metabolic syndrome has beco me a public health chal-
lenge in Japan. A survey conducted by the Ministry of
Health, Labor and Welfare Office showed that about 9
million people in Japan are suffering from metabolic
syndrome, and 10 million people are at risk of develop-
ing it [1]. Reducing visceral fat has been recommended
as a critical approach to prevention of the metabolic
syndrome [2].
Adolescence is an important period in human life in
which changes in body composition occur [3]. The ex-
tent of asymptomatic atherosclerotic lesions in the coro-
nary vessels increased markedly in young people with
multiple cardiovascular risk factors [4]. A close associa-
tion of visceral fat accumulation with dyslipidemia and
hyperinsulinemia in adolescents [5,6] suggests that op-
timal prevention efforts should be particularly made for
young people. We previously observed that visceral fat
accumulation in university students was relevant to the
changes of hepatic enzymes, uric acid, triglyceride, and
blood pressure [7]. However, it is not clear whether
change of visceral fat area is linked to anthropometric
parameters in university students. This pilot study aimed
to evaluate the relationship between changes in visceral
fat area and anthropometric parameters among Japanese
freshmen students.
2. METHODS
2.1. Participants
Fifty-eight freshmen students from a university in Ja-
pan (10 men and 48 women, 18.4 ± 0.1 years of age)
participated in this study at baseline. No subjects re-
ceived any medications for diabetes, hypertension,
and/or dyslipidemia. Ethical approval was obtained from
the Ethical Committee of Okayama University Graduate
School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sci-

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Copyright © 2011 SciRes. Openly accessible at http://www.scirp.org/journal/HEALTH/
74
ences, and a written informed consent was obtained from
all participants as well as from their legal guardians. At
the time of enrollment in the study, all participants were
given a lecture on the importance of physical activity to
their health, and were distributed a pamphlet showing a
practical way on how to increase their daily activity.
2.2. Measurement Procedures
Height, body weight, waist circumference, and vis-
ceral fat area were measured. Waist circumference was
taken in the standing position at the midpoint between
the lowest rib margin and the iliac crest at the end of
normal expiration. The intra-abdominal visceral fat and
the subcutaneous fat areas were measured by CT
scanned at the umbilical levels using a CT scanner
(SOMATOM AR. SP, SIEMENS, Munich, Germany).
CT films were converted into digital images, and both
visceral and subcutaneous fat areas were measured with
image analysis software OPTIMAS version 6.5 (Media
Cybernetics, Silver Spring, MD, USA). The intraperito-
neal area with the same density as the subcutaneous fat
(S) layer was defined as the visceral fat area [8]. All
measurements were repeated 6 months later.
2.3. Data Analysis
Data analysis was based on 56 students (9 males and
47 females, 18.4 ± 0.1 years of age) since 2 subjects
were dropout 6 months later. Data comparison between
baseline and follow-up was performed by paired t test.
Changes in parameters between baseline and follow-up
are expressed as delta. Spearman correlation analysis
was used to examine the association among variables.
Linear regression analysis was employed to derive pre-
dictive equations that could estimate the relationship
between changes in visceral fat area and anthropometric
variables.
3. RESULTS
We found that visceral fat area significantly correlated
with body weight (r = 0.933, p < 0.001 in males; r =
0.468, p < 0.01 in females) and waist circumference (r =
0.717, p < 0.05 in males; r = 0.539, p < 0.001 in females)
at baseline. Correlation coefficient between visceral fat
area and body weight was 0.478 (p < 0.001) and that
between visceral fat area and waist circumference was
0.435 (p < 0.01) in total subjects. Six-month later, waist
circumference was increased in female and total subjects,
and visceral fat area tended to be decreased but the dif-
ference was not significant (Table 1).
Delta waist circumference also significantly correlated
with delta body weight in males (r = 0.802, p < 0.01),
females (r = 0.603, p < 0.0001), and total subjects (r =
Ta bl e 1. Changes in parameters in 56 Japanese freshmen stu-
dents.
Baseline
6-month
Follow-up
Total (n = 56)
Age (y) 18.4 ± 0.1
Height (cm) 159.4 ± 1.0 159.8 ± 1.0
Body weight (kg) 55.5 ± 1.4 55.3 ± 1.4
Waist circumference (cm) 67.5 ± 1.0 69.2 ± 1.0**
Visceral fat area (cm2) 23.7 ± 2.8 21.3 ± 1.9
Male (n = 9)
Age (y) 18.2 ± 0.1
Height (cm) 170.5 ± 2.0 170.7 ± 2.0
Body weight (kg) 68.6 ± 4.4 68.0 ± 4.3
Waist circumference (cm) 78.6 ± 3.1 78.3 ± 2.7
Visceral fat area (cm2) 32.8 ± 14.3 26.1 ± 9.3
Female (n = 47)
Age (y) 18.4 ± 0.1
Height (cm) 157.3 ± 0.8 157.7 ± 0.8
Body weight (kg) 53.0 ± 1.1 52.9 ± 1.1
Waist circumference (cm) 65.3 ± 0.8 67.5 ± 0.8**
Visceral fat area (cm2) 22.0 ± 2.1 20.4 ± 1.5
Data are expressed as means ± standard error. Statistical difference was
determined by paired Student’s t-test. ** p < 0 .001.
0.588, p < 0.0001), respectively. Delta visceral fat area
also significantly correlated with delta body weight (r =
0.405, p < 0.01 in females; r = 0.391, p < 0.01 in total
subjects) and delta waist circumference (r = 0.393, p <
0.01 in females; r = 0.474, p < 0.001 in total subjects).
Changes in % visceral fat area significantly correlated
with delta body weight (r = 0.401, p < 0.01 in females; r =
0.407, p < 0.01 in total subjects) and delta waist circum-
ference (r = 0.557, p < 0.0001 in females; r = 0.477, p <
0.001 in total subjects).
Regression equations derived from the slopes of re-
gression line for prediction of changes in parameters
indicated that 1 kg of delta body weight corresponded to
0.83 cm of delta waist circumference (Figure 1(a)), 1.83
cm2 of delta visceral fat area (Figure 1(b)), and 9.41 %
of changes in visceral fat area in total subjects (Figure
1(d)), respectively. In addition, 1 cm of delta waist cir-
cumference corresponded to 1.57 cm2 of delta visceral
fat area (Figure 1(c)) and 7.80 % of changes in visceral
fat area in total subjects, respectively (Figure 1(e)).
4. DISCUSSION
There are few studies investigating the relationship

D.-H. Wang et al. / Health 3 (2011) 73-76
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7575
between delta visceral fat area and delta anthropometric
parameters in university students. The close relationship
among changes in visceral fat area, waist circumference
and body weight found in our study raises a possibility
that using delta anthropometric parameters to detect the
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Figure 1. Association among changes in visceral fat area, waist
circumference and body weight in Japanese university students.
(a) Delta waist circumference vs delta body weight; (b) Delta
visceral fat area vs delta body weight; (c) Delta visceral fat
area vs delta waist circumference; (d) Changes in % visceral
fat area vs delta body weight; (e) Changes in % visceral fat
area vs. delta waist circumference.
change of visceral fat accumulation in university stu-
dents. In a 6-months wei ght reduction trial , Rissanen et al.
founded that 8.4 kg (9.0%) of weight loss corresponded
to 18.0% of visceral fat area reduction in 38 middle-aged
obese women [9]. We also reported a reduction of 3.3 kg
of body weight, 4.2 cm of waist circumference, 22.8 cm2
and 18.8% of visceral fat area in 61 overweight mid-
dle-aged men by a 1-year exercise intervention program
[10]. The present findings from university freshmen—1
kg of delta body weight corresponded to 1.83 cm2 of
delta visceral fat area and 9.41 % of changes in visceral
fat area were different with the previous results of the
middle-aged men. Particularly, change in % visceral fat
area corresponding to 1kg of delta body weight in uni-
versity students seems to be comparatively higher than

D.-H. Wang et al. / Health 3 (2011) 73-76
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76
those middle-aged Japanese men [8]. Such a difference
may imply that clinical impact of delta body weight on
visceral fat accumulation in university students is worthy
of note.
In female participants, the waist circumference sig-
nificantly increased at 6 months although it did not
change in males. One of the explanations might be that
there was an increased trend in percent of energy intake
from fat and particularly from saturated fatty acid found
in female participants (Data not shown). Varady et al.
reported that subjects with high-fat diet lost more weight
than those with low-fat diet, however, waist circumfer-
ence was significantly decreased in subjects with low-fat
diet only [11].
The small number of subjects, especially the male
students, limits the ability to generalize these findings,
and the freshmen may also differ from their older class-
mates. In addition, although we found the association
among changes in visceral fat area, waist circumference
and body weight in university freshmen, we could not
provide information on the proper reduction threshold of
body composition for preventing future metabolic syn-
drome.
In conclusion, delta visceral fat area is closely linked
to delta body weight and delta waist circumference in
university freshmen. These findings might be applicable
to public health practice settin gs to evaluate the effect of
prevention against the metabolic syndrome. Further stu-
dies are under consideration to confirm whether delta
body weight and delta waist circumference can be used
to detect change of visceral fat accumulation in univer-
sity students.
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