Baseline levels of clinical variables, including diabetes (HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose [FPG], PPG, fasting insulin [Fins], postprandial insulin [Pins] and HOMA-IR) and obesity (BW, BMI, and VFA and SFA at the L2-L3 and L4-L5 interspaces [L2-L3 VFA, L4-L5 VFA, L2-L3 SFA and L4-L5 SFA, respectively]) variables, blood lipids, gut hormones and adipokines, were also well balanced between groups (ANCOVA, p>0.05; Table 1). This evidence concerns the gene INS and diabetes mellitus.