Excess fat in the abdomen but not general obesity is associated with poorer metabolic and cardiovascular health in premenopausal and postmenopausal Asian women

Abdominal obesity is associated with insulin resistance and with higher risks of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases, whereas general obesity is not. Abdominal obesity may predispose to a higher risk of diabetes. The onset of the menopause tends to increase the incidence of general and abdominal obesity, except that postmenopausal women on conjugated estradiol HRT appear to be relatively protected from general obesity.