Fifteen premenopausal obese women, seven abdominal obese (AO) and eight gluteal-femoral obese (GFO), followed an energy-reduced diet of 1000 kcal/d (4.2 MJ/d) over 8 wk. Body-fat distribution was assessed using a cutoff point of 0.80 for the waist-to-hips girth ratio. Before and after the dietary treatment resting metabolic rate (RMR) and diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) (after a normal breakfast) were measured by indirect calorimetry. Body-weight reduction and energy intake during the diet period did not differ significantly between both groups. Before weight loss the AO group had slightly greater RMR than the GFO group. After weight loss mean RMR decreased about 10% in the AO group and about 2.5% in the GFO group. Before weight loss DIT was slightly but not significantly higher in the AO group than in the GFO group. After weight loss DIT increased significantly in the GFO group. Weight loss was generally associated with decreased blood glucose, serum triglycerides, and total serum cholesterol levels in the AO women but not in the GFO women.