Adipose Tissue and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)(EIFFEL)

Study Population and screening: Healthy young women with a BMI > 30 will be recruited; 12 will have a gynoid pattern as defined by a waist-to-hip ratio less than 0.78 and 12 with an android pattern as defined by a waist-to-hip greater than 0.85. A third group will include 12 women with PCOS as defined by the NIH's criteria. Subjects will be recruited via a dedicated website, physician referrals, direct mail outs, newspaper advertisements, and brochures. Only subjects that will sign informed consent and meet eligibility criteria will be enrolled in this study.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Female
• Age > 20 and < 40
• Weight stable (change of less than 3 kg in the last 8 weeks), and within 10% of peak body weight (not including pregnancy).
• BMI < 40 kg/m2 or > 30 kg/m2

Supplemental inclusion criteria for PCOS women:

• NIH criteria - confirmed by subjects' medical records.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Male
• Women who are pregnant or lactating (breast feeding)
• Post-menopausal women
• Women with hysterectomy
• Diagnosed with diabetes, or have a fasting blood sugar > 126 mg/dL.
• Untreated or symptomatic thyroid disease.
• Impaired kidney or liver function, as evidenced by your blood work
• Hypertension/ high blood pressure or are taking blood pressure medications
• Use of oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy.
• History of drug or alcohol abuse (> 3 drinks per day) in the last 5 years, or psychiatric disease prohibiting adherence to study protocol.
• History of cancer within the last 5 years.
• History of organ transplant.
• History of HIV, active Hepatitis B or C, or Tuberculosis.
• History of heart attack/ myocardial infarction.
• Presence of clinically significant abnormalities on EKG.
• Current smokers (smoking within the past 3 months)
• Use of any medications known to influence glucose, fat and/or energy metabolism within the last 3 months (e.g., growth hormone therapy, glucocorticoids [steroids], etc.). Metformin for women with PCOS is allowed.