Ectopic Fat and Insulin Resistance: Pathophysiology and Effect of Diet and Lifestyle Interventions

Figure 1

Ectopic fat depositions. Gene-environment interactions might be involved both in increased energy intake and decreased physical activity as well as in the response of adipose tissue to the ensuing increased energy balanced. Predisposed subjects will elicit a pathophysiologic response leading to adipocyte hypertrophy. This will lead to an inflammatory response that ultimately leads to ectopic fat deposition. The consequences of ectopic fat are organ specific as depicted in this figure. The effect of ectopic fat on the cellular level is different and depicted in Figure 2. FFAs: free fatty acids; EGP: endogenous glucose production; VLDL-TG: very low-density lipoprotein-triglyceride.