FIGURE 1.

Subcutaneous and visceral fat definitions by automated morphometric analysis methodology. Computed tomographic scans are processed by image boundary definition routines written in MATLAB. A, Vertebral body definitions are verified by human operator and corrected when necessary. Fascial plane identification (B, yellow line) serves as boundary between subcutaneous (B) and visceral fat (C) at midpoints of spinal levels. Fat volumes are the product of fat area and vertebral body height at individual spinal levels.