BACKGROUND: Although is complex to identify the factors responsible for the important growth in obesity all over the world, the main causes are increased consumption of energy, highly saturated fats and sugars, and reduced physical activity. AIM: To compare rats with normal and supplemented diet with sucrose in relationship to body mass, weight of gonadal and retroperitoneal fat and Lee index. METHODS: Forty rats were divided into two groups: 20 in the control group that received normal chow diet and water for three months, and 20 animals in the experimental group who received the same diet but supplemented with sucrose 300 g/l of water. The animals were weighed once a week during 91 days. At scheduled death, they had measured the naso-anal length, body weight and Lee index. After laparotomy, retroperitoneal and gonadal fat were isolated, dried and the percentage of weight in relation to body weight at the date of death was evaluated. RESULTS: There was a statistic significant difference between the 14th and 78th day favoring the experiment group indicating that sucrose interferes with weight gain in rats. The average weight was higher in the experimental group in all periods in comparison to initial weight. There was also significant difference in the weight of the gonadal and retroperitoneal fat. There was no significant difference comparing the Lee index. CONCLUSION: The body mass index was higher in animals treated with diet supplemented with sucrose and had higher gonadal and retroperitoneal fat, but no difference in the Lee index.
Obesity; Wistar rats; Sucrose; Abdominal fat
