Body Fat Distribution With Long-Term Dietary Restriction in Adult Male Rhesus Macaques

Dietary restriction (DR) is the only intervention that has been shown to increase average and median life span in laboratory rodents. The effect of long-term, moderate DR on body composition and fat distribution was evaluated in male rhesus monkeys. Thirty animals (8–14 years of age) fed either 30% less than baseline intake (R, n = 15) or allowed to eat to satiety (C, n = 15), have been assessed semiannually using somatometrics and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for 7.5 years. R subjects have reduced body weight (p < .0001), total body fat (p < .0001), and percentage body fat located in the abdominal region (p < .05). In addition, there has been a sustained reduction in plasma leptin concentrations (p < .001). These findings suggest reduced risk for common morbidities, such as insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, that are associated with advancing age and increased levels of body fat, especially in the visceral depot.