This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The purpose of this research is to understand why some obese individuals become resistant to the hormone insulin; that is, they are in a pre-diabetic state while other obese individuals are not. We are going to measure the degree of insulin and then relate that to a number of different metabolic markers. We think that the markers will be higher in individuals who are insulin resistant. This will help us to understand the nature of insulin resistance.