This study was undertaken to examine the associations of various regional fat depots with insulin resistance and the impact of a lifestyle intervention on these associations. A total of 187 nondiabetic subjects were included in the cross-sectional study. Among them, 172 subjects completed the lifestyle intervention (LI) study after a mean follow-up time of 259 days (≈8 months). Among the various fat depots, intra-abdominal (visceral) adipose tissue (IAAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), liver fat (LF) as well as interscapular fat (IF) were negatively associated with insulin sensitivity. No significant associations were observed between lower body adiposity indices and insulin resistance. During LI, all adiposity measures decreased and insulin sensitivity improved. The change in insulin sensitivity during LI adjusted for gender, age, and abdominal fat depots at baseline was associated with change in IF but not with change in SAT and IAAT. However, in a model incorporating LF instead of abdominal fat depots, both IF and LF were independently related to the change in insulin sensitivity. These results suggest that IF contributes to whole-body insulin sensitivity not only cross-sectionally, but also during LI. Further studies are necessary to determine the mechanisms linking IF to insulin resistance.
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