Less fat around the organs
- Published in
- Circulation 2018
- People studied
- 278
In an 18-month trial of 278 adults on diet programmes, with or without exercise, fat around the organs fell by 22% and fat in the liver by 29%. No group went without a programme.
- Checked against
- PubMed 29142011
- Published in
- Circulation 2018
- Last checked
- 30 October 2026
Key takeaway
The CENTRAL trial in Israel included 278 adults, mostly men, with excess belly fat or unhealthy blood fats. They followed a low-fat or a Mediterranean low-carbohydrate diet, with or without exercise, for 18 months, and had MRI scans. Across the groups, fat around the organs fell by 22%, liver fat by 29% and fat around the heart by 11%. Exercise added to the loss of fat around the organs, and the Mediterranean low-carbohydrate diet removed more liver and heart fat than the low-fat diet.
At a glance
- Type of study
- randomised trial comparing diet and exercise programmes (CENTRAL)
- People studied
- 278
- How long
- 18 months
- Compared with
- different diet and exercise programmes against each other; no group without a programme
- Main result
- Fat around the organs fell 22% and liver fat 29% over 18 months.
- Strength of evidence
- Small or uncontrolled studies
What this study does not show
There was no group without a programme to compare against, and 89% of participants were men.
Results from studies in groups of people, mostly in diet and movement programmes. They cannot be promised to any one person. This information is educational and does not replace a consultation with a doctor.
More on fat
- Less fat around the organsSmall or uncontrolled studies · Gepner et al., Circulation 2018
- Deep fat can go tooLong-term or observational studies · Verheggen et al., Obes Rev 2016
- Less fat inside the bellySmall or uncontrolled studies · Ross et al., Ann Intern Med 2000
- Lower inflammation markersRandomised trials · Esposito et al., JAMA 2003
- More exercise, less deep fatRandomised trials · Recchia et al., Br J Sports Med 2023
- Smaller waist, less inflammationRandomised trials · Rahimi et al., Biol Res Nurs 2022
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