The association of adiposity with insulin resistance (IR) is modulated by regional fat deposition. For example, visceral (intra-abdominal) adipose tissue (VAT) is generally regarded as more strongly correlated with IR, than subcutaneous adiposity of the thigh (ThiSAT) or abdomen (AbdSAT), even though these latter depots are larger than VAT. Perhaps these differences are due to regional variation in AT metabolism. A limitation of body composition methods is that these assess amount rather than metabolism of adipose tissue (AT). Our aim is to use positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with [F-18] fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) for the in vivo investigation of AT metabolism and use this in conjunction with regional body composition imaging so that both the amount of AT and metabolism of AT can be determined. Hopefully, such an approach will give new insight as to how AT influences skeletal muscle and hepatic IR. The current project seeks to develop this approach, generating preliminary data to lay a foundation for subsequent projects.