ABSTRACT
Abdominal obesity is recognized as a strong predictor of themetabolic disorders associatedwith obesity (1,2). Excess visceral fat accumulation, also knownas intra-abdominal or visceral obesity, is strongly and independently associated with metabolic alteration such as insulin resistance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, which are important risk factors for cardiovascular disease (1,3). Specific features of the visceral adipose tissue depots, which include omental, mesenteric, and retroperitoneal fat, have been shown to be related or lead to metabolic alterations. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the biological nature of the visceral adipocyte and its potential links with the metabolic disturbances associated with visceral fat accumulation.
