Hakim O, Bello O, Ladwa M, et al. - Researchers evaluated ethnic differences between healthy white European (WE) and black west African (BWA) men in visceral adipose tissue (VAT), intrahepatic (IHL), intrapancreatic (IPL) and intramyocellular lipids (IMCL). Twenty-three WE and 20 BWA men had Dixon-MRI to quantify VAT, IHL and IPL; and IMCL quantifying proton-magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Using homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-2), insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function were determined. BWA men showed significantly lower VAT and IHL than WE men, but similar IPL and IMCL. Lower VAT and IHL and their lack of interrelationship in BWA men suggest that there are ethnic differences in ectopic fat deposition mechanisms. In BWA men, the lack of connection between ectopic fat with insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function may show a lesser role for ectopic fat in the development of T2DM in black populations.