[Obesity and distribution of body fat. Correlation between anthropometric and tomographic data on areas at the abdominal level].

In a sample made up of 83 males and 68 females different parameters and external anthropometric indexes were compared (folds, perimeters and indexes of central fat distribution) with direct measurements of abdominal fat obtained by computerized tomography (visceral fat, subcutaneous fat and visceral/subcutaneous index). Anthropometric and tomographic differences between males and females were determined. Likewise, an analysis was made of variations in the fat pattern and subcutaneous and intra-abdominal visceral fat deposits, considering age and overweight. The results obtained in this study reveal different fat patterns for each sex, changes with age in body fat distribution, and different usefulness of external anthropometric measures in males and females to predict fat deposits and their distribution at the abdominal level.