Effect of VSG in diet-induced obese rats on body weight and composition. Rats exposed to a two-choice high/low fat diet were either subjected to VSG (closed circles, n = 8) or sham surgery (open circles, n = 9) and compared to rats exposed to regular low-fat chow (open triangles, n = 4). a: Body weight monitored before and for 3 months after surgery. * p < 0.05, VSG vs. Sham; ^ p<0.05, VSG and Sham vs. Chow. b, c: Total fat mass and relative fat mass (adiposity) measured by NMR whole body imaging, 80 days after surgery. d: Epididymal and retroperitoneal fat pad weights measured at termination, 90 days after surgery. e: Lean mass at 80 days after surgery. Bars that do not share the same letters are significantly different from each other (based on ANOVA followed by Bonferroni-corrected multiple comparisons).