LPL and type 2 diabetes mellitus: In contrast to abdominal fat, lower-body fat has been suggested to act as a metabolic sink, storing excess free fatty acids (FFA) when there is an energy surplus, due to its lower lipolytic activity and higher lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity, compared to upper-body fat stores.31-34 Lower-body fat has been suggested to protect against ectopic fat deposition and therefore protect against risk for CVD and T2D.