The associations between generalized obesity measured as body mass index (BMI), or adipose tissue distribution, measured as the waist/hip circumference ratio (WHR), on one hand, and a number of socioeconomic, somatic as well as psychologic and mental health variables on the other, were analysed in a population study of women (1462 participants, aged 38-60 years, participation rate 90.1%). The anthropometric measurements were adjusted for their influence on each other. BMI, but not WHR, was negatively associated with socioeconomic status and education. Increased WHR correlated to a number of somatic diseases from different organ systems, including diabetes mellitus, infectious respiratory and abdominal diseases. Even more striking were strong correlations to a number of variables indicating accident proneness as well as mental disorder, and increased use of antidepressants and tranquilizers. BMI and WHR were also associated to different personality profiles. Furthermore, the use of alcohol and smoking were positively correlated to the WHR. In contrast, most of these associations were not seen with the BMI--sometimes even negative correlations were found. Exceptions were, however, varicose veins, joint problems and surgery for gall bladder disease, which were positively correlated to BMI only. Blood pressure, plasma triglycerides and uric acid were positively correlated to both BMI and the WHR, plasma cholesterol, however, only to the WHR. Obesity (high BMI) and abdominal adipose tissue distribution (high WHR) clearly show differences in their associations to various health variables. It is hypothesized that an arousal syndrome might be a contributing factor to cause symptoms of psychological maladjustment, including psychosomatic disease. Hypothetically, in parallel, an accumulation of depot fat in the abdominal depot, might follow as a consequence of neuroendocrine dysregulation of endocrine secretions.