Catecholamine-induced lipolysis was investigated in 32 obese subjects (14 men and 18 premenopausal women), aged 36-50 years, whose body mass index ranged from 30 to 42 kg/m 2 . Isolated subcutaneous (subc) abdominal and femoral adipocytes were studied before and after a 15-week weight reducing program, during which mean body weight loss averaged 9 vs. 10 kg in women and men, respectively ( P Ͻ 0.0001). Participants were re-examined when they were weight-stable. Fat cell weight decreased by about 15-20% in both depots ( P values ranging from 0.01 to 0.05). Epinephrine (mixed ␣ 2-/  -adrenoceptor (AR) agonist) induced antilipolysis at low concentrations and a net lipolytic response at higher doses, irrespective of subjects' fatness and anatomic location of fat. Basal lipolysis, maximal lipolytic responses to isoprenaline (  -AR agonist), dobutamine and procaterol (  1-and  2-AR agonists, respectively) as well as maximal antilipolytic effects of epinephrine or UK-14304 ( ␣ 2-AR agonist) were similar before and after weight reduction. However, both  -and  2-AR lipolytic sensitivities and the  -AR density were increased in both genders after weight reduction, this effect being more marked in subc abdominal than in femoral adipocytes ( P values ranging from 0.001 to 0.05). The ␣ 2-AR antilipolytic sensitivity was reduced in adipose cells from both regions in women, but only in subc abdominal adipocytes in men ( P Ͻ 0.05), although the ␣ 2-AR density remained unchanged after weight reduction. In conclusion, a moderate weight loss leads to a higher adipose cell lipolytic efficiency which is associated with changes at receptor levels (mainly an increased  2-and a decreased ␣ 2-AR sensitivities), in both genders.