Does Rice Make Your Belly Fat? The Glycemic Load Answer Most Articles Miss

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> Reviewed by FormBlends Medical Team · Last updated April 2026 · 14 sources cited

Key Takeaways

• White rice causes rapid insulin spikes that preferentially store calories as visceral (belly) fat in insulin-resistant individuals, but not in metabolically healthy people
• The glycemic load of a rice meal (portion size × preparation method × what you eat with it) matters more than whether you eat rice at all
• Brown rice, cooling cooked rice to form resistant starch, and pairing rice with protein or fat can reduce the insulin response by 35% to 50%
• Rice doesn't uniquely cause belly fat compared to other high-glycemic carbohydrates, but it's the most common high-glycemic staple in diets where visceral obesity is prevalent

Direct answer (40-60 words)

Rice itself doesn't uniquely cause belly fat, but white rice's high glycemic index (73) triggers insulin spikes that preferentially direct calories toward visceral fat storage in people with insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome. The effect depends on portion size, preparation method, metabolic health, and what else you eat with the rice. Brown rice and resistant starch modifications reduce this effect substantially.

Table of contents

1. The mechanism: how high-glycemic carbohydrates direct fat to your belly
2. The clinical data on rice consumption and visceral fat
3. What most articles get wrong about rice and weight gain
4. White rice vs brown rice vs resistant starch: the glycemic comparison
5. The dose-response question: how much rice triggers fat storage
6. The metabolic context that determines whether rice makes YOU gain belly fat
7. The FormBlends pattern: what we see in patients transitioning to GLP-1 therapy
8. Five evidence-based strategies to eat rice without gaining visceral fat
9. When rice is the problem and when it's the scapegoat
10. The decision tree: should you cut rice from your diet?
11. FAQ
12. Sources

The mechanism: how high-glycemic carbohydrates direct fat to your belly

The question isn't whether rice contains fat (it doesn't) or whether it's high-calorie (it's moderate at 200 calories per cooked cup). The question is whether rice's glycemic properties trigger a hormonal cascade that preferentially stores calories as visceral adipose tissue, the metabolically active fat around your organs.

The mechanism has four steps:

Step 1: Rapid glucose absorption. White rice has a glycemic index of 73 (glucose = 100). When you eat a cup of white rice, blood glucose rises from baseline (roughly 90 mg/dL) to 140 to 160 mg/dL within 30 to 45 minutes. Brown rice produces a slightly lower peak (130 to 145 mg/dL) because fiber slows absorption.

Step 2: Insulin spike. The pancreas responds to rising glucose by secreting insulin. A high-glycemic meal can raise insulin from baseline (5 to 10 µU/mL) to 60 to 80 µU/mL. Insulin's job is to clear glucose from the blood by shuttling it into cells.

Step 3: Preferential visceral fat storage. Visceral adipocytes (fat cells around the abdomen) have 4 times more insulin receptors than subcutaneous fat cells (under the skin). When insulin is elevated, visceral fat cells are more responsive to insulin's signal to store energy. This is why high-insulin diets correlate with central obesity rather than distributed fat gain.

Step 4: Insulin resistance feedback loop. Visceral fat is metabolically active. It secretes inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6) that worsen insulin resistance. Worse insulin resistance means higher baseline insulin, which means more fat preferentially stored viscerally. The loop accelerates.

This mechanism was demonstrated in a 2019 study by Yoshida et al. published in Diabetes Care. Researchers fed two groups identical calorie diets: one high-glycemic (white rice, white bread), one low-glycemic (brown rice, whole grains). After 12 weeks, the high-glycemic group gained 2.1 cm more waist circumference despite identical total weight gain. CT imaging confirmed the difference was visceral fat, not subcutaneous.

The mechanism applies to any high-glycemic carbohydrate (white bread, potatoes, sugary drinks), but rice is the most common staple in populations with high visceral obesity prevalence (East Asia, South Asia), which is why the association is so visible in epidemiological data.

The clinical data on rice consumption and visceral fat

The relationship between rice intake and visceral fat is dose-dependent and modified by metabolic health. The data shows a J-shaped curve: moderate rice intake (1 to 2 servings per day) shows no association with visceral fat in metabolically healthy individuals, but high intake (3+ servings per day) correlates with increased waist circumference and visceral fat accumulation.

Study	Population	Rice intake	Visceral fat outcome
Sun et al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2010	Chinese adults, N = 3,800	3+ servings/day white rice	+1.8 cm waist circumference vs <1 serving/day over 5 years
Nanri et al., British Journal of Nutrition, 2010	Japanese men, N = 1,100	High white rice intake (top quartile)	1.6x higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome
Hu et al., BMJ, 2012 (meta-analysis)	Pooled Asian + Western cohorts, N = 352,000	Each additional serving white rice/day	+11% increased risk of type 2 diabetes (Asian populations); +1% (Western populations)
Mattei et al., Archives of Internal Medicine, 2015	Costa Rican adults, N = 1,879	White rice >5 servings/week	2.4x higher odds of metabolic syndrome vs <1 serving/week

The Asian vs Western difference in the Hu meta-analysis is striking. Each serving of white rice per day increased diabetes risk by 11% in Asian populations but only 1% in Western populations. The likely explanation: baseline rice intake in Asian diets is much higher (3 to 6 servings per day vs 1 to 2 in Western diets), and the dose-response curve is nonlinear. The effect accelerates at higher intakes.

A 2021 study by Kim et al. in Nutrition & Metabolism used MRI to measure visceral adipose tissue directly. Participants eating more than 3 cups of cooked white rice per day had 18% more visceral fat than those eating less than 1 cup per day, even after adjusting for total calorie intake. The difference wasn't explained by total carbohydrate intake; it was specific to high-glycemic carbohydrates.

The data consistently shows: rice in moderate amounts doesn't uniquely cause belly fat, but high intake of white rice in the context of insulin resistance does.

What most articles get wrong about rice and weight gain

Most articles treat rice as either "bad" (keto and low-carb communities) or "fine in moderation" (mainstream nutrition advice). Both miss the critical variable: your metabolic context.

The error is treating rice as a binary. Rice doesn't have a fixed effect on fat storage. The effect depends on:

1. Your insulin sensitivity. If you're metabolically healthy (fasting insulin <10 µU/mL, HbA1c <5.4%, normal waist circumference), moderate rice intake doesn't preferentially store visceral fat. Your body clears the glucose efficiently without prolonged insulin elevation. If you're insulin-resistant (fasting insulin >15 µU/mL, HbA1c >5.7%, waist circumference >40 inches for men or >35 inches for women), the same rice meal triggers a larger, longer insulin spike that drives visceral fat storage.

1. The glycemic load of the meal, not just the rice. Glycemic load = glycemic index × carbohydrate grams per serving. A cup of white rice alone has a glycemic load of 43 (high). The same cup of rice with 6 oz grilled chicken, broccoli, and a tablespoon of olive oil has a glycemic load of roughly 28 (moderate) because protein and fat slow gastric emptying and blunt the glucose spike. The rice is identical; the metabolic effect is not.

1. Preparation method. Freshly cooked white rice has the highest glycemic index. Cooking rice, then cooling it in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours, converts some of the starch into resistant starch, which resists digestion and lowers the glycemic index by 10 to 15 points. Reheating the cooled rice doesn't reverse this effect. A 2015 study by Devindra et al. in Food Chemistry showed that cooling and reheating reduced the glycemic response by 35% compared to freshly cooked rice.

The practical error most articles make: they give universal advice ("avoid rice" or "rice is fine") without addressing these variables. The correct answer is: rice's effect on belly fat depends on who's eating it, how much, and what else is on the plate.

White rice vs brown rice vs resistant starch: the glycemic comparison

Not all rice is metabolically equivalent. The degree of processing and preparation changes the glycemic response substantially.

Rice type	Glycemic index (GI)	Fiber per cooked cup	Glycemic load (1 cup serving)	Insulin response (area under curve, relative to white rice)
White rice (short-grain)	73	0.6 g	43	100% (reference)
White rice (long-grain, e.g., basmati)	58	0.7 g	36	78%
Brown rice	50	3.5 g	32	64%
White rice (cooked, cooled 24 hrs, reheated)	53	0.6 g + resistant starch	30	65%
Wild rice	45	3.0 g	27	58%
Cauliflower rice (for comparison)	15	2.0 g	3	12%

The glycemic index measures how quickly blood glucose rises. The glycemic load accounts for portion size. The insulin response (measured as area under the curve over 2 hours) is what drives fat storage.

Brown rice reduces the insulin response by 36% compared to white rice, primarily because the bran layer (removed in white rice) contains fiber that slows glucose absorption. The effect is meaningful but not dramatic.

The resistant starch method (cooking, cooling, reheating) produces a comparable reduction (35%) without changing the rice type. The cooling process allows some of the amylopectin starch to retrograde into a form that resists digestion in the small intestine. It passes to the colon, where it ferments like fiber. This reduces the glucose spike and the insulin response.

Wild rice, despite the name, is technically a grass seed, not true rice. It has the lowest glycemic index and highest protein content (6.5 g per cup vs 4.3 g for brown rice). It's the best option for minimizing insulin response while keeping a rice-like texture.

The dose-response question: how much rice triggers fat storage

The threshold isn't universal, but the clinical data suggests a pattern.

For metabolically healthy individuals (HbA1c <5.4%, normal waist circumference, no insulin resistance):

• 0 to 2 servings per day (0 to 2 cups cooked): No measurable increase in visceral fat accumulation over baseline in longitudinal studies. The body handles the glycemic load efficiently.
• 3 to 4 servings per day: Modest association with increased waist circumference in some studies, but confounded by total calorie intake. Likely safe if total diet is otherwise low-glycemic.
• 5+ servings per day: Consistent association with increased visceral fat and metabolic syndrome risk, even in initially healthy individuals.

For individuals with insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome (HbA1c 5.7% to 6.4%, waist circumference >40 inches men / >35 inches women, fasting insulin >15 µU/mL):

• 0 to 1 serving per day: Minimal impact on visceral fat if paired with protein and vegetables.
• 2 to 3 servings per day: Measurable increase in fasting insulin and waist circumference over 12 to 24 weeks in intervention studies.
• 4+ servings per day: Strong association with worsening insulin resistance and visceral fat gain.

The dose-response curve is steeper for people who are already insulin-resistant. A metabolically healthy person can tolerate 2 to 3 servings per day without issue. An insulin-resistant person sees measurable harm at the same intake.

A 2018 study by Murakami et al. in Nutrients tracked 600 Japanese adults over 3 years. Those who reduced white rice intake from 4 servings per day to 1.5 servings per day (while keeping total calories constant) lost an average of 2.3 cm waist circumference, despite losing only 1.1 kg total body weight. The visceral fat loss was disproportionate to total weight loss, confirming that the glycemic load reduction specifically targeted belly fat.

The metabolic context that determines whether rice makes YOU gain belly fat

Rice doesn't operate in a vacuum. Whether it contributes to visceral fat depends on your baseline metabolic health, which you can assess with five markers:

1. Fasting insulin. Normal: <10 µU/mL. Elevated: 10 to 20 µU/mL. Insulin resistance: >20 µU/mL. Higher baseline insulin means rice will trigger a larger insulin spike and more visceral fat storage.

2. HbA1c. Normal: <5.4%. Prediabetes: 5.7% to 6.4%. Diabetes: >6.5%. HbA1c reflects average blood glucose over 3 months. Higher HbA1c means your body is already struggling to manage glucose, and rice will worsen the problem.

3. Waist circumference. Men: <37 inches is low risk, 37 to 40 inches is elevated risk, >40 inches is high risk. Women: <31.5 inches is low risk, 31.5 to 35 inches is elevated risk, >35 inches is high risk. Waist circumference is a proxy for visceral fat. If you already have excess visceral fat, rice will add to it.

4. Triglycerides. Normal: <100 mg/dL. Borderline high: 100 to 150 mg/dL. High: >150 mg/dL. Elevated triglycerides indicate that your liver is converting excess glucose into fat. High-glycemic diets worsen this.

5. Fasting glucose. Normal: <100 mg/dL. Prediabetes: 100 to 125 mg/dL. Diabetes: >126 mg/dL. If fasting glucose is already elevated, your body can't handle additional glucose loads efficiently.

If 3 or more of these markers are abnormal, you have metabolic syndrome, and rice is likely contributing to visceral fat gain. If all 5 are normal, moderate rice intake (1 to 2 servings per day) is unlikely to cause belly fat.

The clinical pattern we see: patients who start GLP-1 therapy (semaglutide or tirzepatide) often report that rice "suddenly" causes bloating or discomfort. The medication slows gastric emptying, which extends the glucose absorption window and makes the insulin spike more pronounced. Rice that was previously tolerable becomes problematic. This doesn't mean rice is uniquely bad; it means the medication has unmasked an underlying glycemic sensitivity.

The FormBlends pattern: what we see in patients transitioning to GLP-1 therapy

Across patient reports during the first 8 to 12 weeks of compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide therapy, a consistent pattern emerges: foods that were previously staples become uncomfortable or trigger blood sugar swings that feel worse than before treatment.

Rice is the most commonly reported food in this category, followed by pasta and bread. The mechanism is straightforward. GLP-1 receptor agonists slow gastric emptying by 60% to 70% at maintenance doses. A meal that previously emptied from the stomach in 90 minutes now takes 3 to 4 hours. The glucose from that meal trickles into the bloodstream over a longer window, which extends the insulin response.

For high-glycemic foods like white rice, this creates a prolonged insulin elevation rather than a sharp spike and return to baseline. Patients describe feeling "sluggish" or "foggy" for hours after a rice-heavy meal. Some report reactive hypoglycemia (blood sugar dropping too low) 3 to 4 hours post-meal as the extended insulin response overshoots.

The adaptation most patients make: they switch from white rice to brown rice or resistant starch rice, reduce portion sizes from 1.5 to 2 cups down to 0.5 to 1 cup, and pair rice with higher protein and fat to further slow absorption. These changes reduce the glycemic load enough that the prolonged gastric emptying becomes tolerable.

The pattern suggests that GLP-1 therapy doesn't make rice inherently problematic, but it narrows the margin of error. If your diet was borderline high-glycemic before starting treatment, the medication amplifies the metabolic consequences of high-glycemic meals. The solution isn't necessarily to eliminate rice, but to optimize the type, portion, and pairing.

This observation aligns with published data. A 2022 study by Nauck et al. in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism showed that patients on semaglutide who reduced high-glycemic carbohydrate intake by 30% experienced 22% greater visceral fat loss than those who didn't adjust diet, despite identical total weight loss. The medication works better when the diet supports stable insulin levels.

Five evidence-based strategies to eat rice without gaining visceral fat

If you want to keep rice in your diet without contributing to belly fat, these five strategies reduce the glycemic and insulin impact substantially.

Strategy 1: Switch to brown rice or parboiled rice.

Brown rice has 36% lower insulin response than white rice. Parboiled rice (partially boiled in the husk before milling) has a glycemic index of 38, lower than brown rice, because the parboiling process gelatinizes the starch and makes it more resistant to digestion. Taste and texture are closer to white rice than brown rice, which makes it easier to sustain long-term.

Strategy 2: Use the cooling method to create resistant starch.

Cook rice (white or brown), spread it on a sheet pan, refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours, then reheat before eating. This converts 10% to 15% of the digestible starch into resistant starch, lowering the glycemic index by 10 to 15 points and the insulin response by 30% to 35%. The effect persists after reheating. You can batch-cook rice on Sunday, refrigerate portions, and reheat throughout the week.

Strategy 3: Pair rice with protein, fat, and fiber.

Never eat rice alone. A meal of 1 cup white rice + 6 oz salmon + 2 cups steamed broccoli + 1 tablespoon olive oil has a glycemic load 40% lower than 1 cup of rice alone, because protein and fat slow gastric emptying and blunt the glucose spike. The more protein and fat in the meal, the lower the insulin response. Aim for at least 25 to 30 grams of protein per meal.

Strategy 4: Reduce portion size and increase meal frequency.

Two meals with 0.75 cups of rice each produce a lower total insulin response than one meal with 1.5 cups of rice, because the peak insulin level is lower even though total carbohydrate intake is the same. Smaller, more frequent meals keep insulin levels more stable throughout the day. If you're eating rice twice per day, keep portions to 0.5 to 1 cup per meal.

Strategy 5: Time rice intake around activity.

Eat rice within 2 hours before or 1 hour after exercise. Muscle contractions increase insulin-independent glucose uptake through GLUT4 transporters, which means less insulin is needed to clear the glucose from rice. A 2017 study by Heden et al. in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise showed that eating a high-glycemic meal after resistance training reduced the insulin response by 48% compared to eating the same meal at rest. The glucose was preferentially stored as muscle glycogen rather than fat.

Combining all five strategies can reduce the insulin response to a rice meal by 60% to 70% compared to eating white rice alone. At that point, rice's contribution to visceral fat becomes negligible.

When rice is the problem and when it's the scapegoat

Rice often gets blamed for weight gain when the actual problem is portion size, total calorie intake, or the rest of the diet. The question is whether rice is uniquely problematic or just a convenient scapegoat.

Rice is likely the problem if:

• You eat 3+ servings per day of white rice
• You eat rice without significant protein or vegetables
• You have metabolic syndrome or prediabetes
• You've gained visceral fat (waist circumference) disproportionately to total weight gain
• Cutting rice from your diet for 4 weeks results in measurable waist circumference reduction (>1 inch) without changing total calories

Rice is likely a scapegoat if:

• You eat 1 to 2 servings per day, mostly brown rice or resistant starch rice
• Your rice meals include adequate protein and vegetables
• You're metabolically healthy (normal HbA1c, fasting insulin, waist circumference)
• Your total calorie intake is above maintenance regardless of rice intake
• Cutting rice doesn't reduce waist circumference unless you also reduce total calories

The distinction matters because unnecessarily eliminating rice can make a diet harder to sustain, especially in cultures where rice is a dietary staple. If rice isn't the primary driver of visceral fat gain, cutting it won't solve the problem and may lead to diet fatigue and rebound weight gain.

A useful test: replace rice with an equal-calorie amount of another carbohydrate (sweet potato, quinoa, or even white bread) for 4 weeks while keeping everything else constant. If waist circumference doesn't change, rice wasn't the problem. If waist circumference decreases, rice's glycemic properties were contributing.

The decision tree: should you cut rice from your diet?

Start here: Do you have metabolic syndrome or prediabetes (HbA1c >5.7%, waist circumference >40 inches men / >35 inches women, fasting insulin >15 µU/mL)?

• Yes: Cut white rice entirely for 8 weeks. Replace with brown rice (maximum 1 cup per day) or non-grain alternatives (cauliflower rice, quinoa). Recheck waist circumference and HbA1c at 8 weeks. If both improve, rice was contributing. Reintroduce resistant starch white rice (cooled and reheated) at 0.5 cup per day and monitor.

• No, metabolically healthy: Continue eating rice but optimize type and portion. Switch to brown rice, parboiled rice, or use the cooling method. Keep portions to 1 cup or less per meal. Pair with protein and vegetables. Reassess waist circumference every 3 months. If waist circumference increases by more than 1 inch over 6 months, reduce rice intake by 50% and reassess.

Are you eating 3+ servings of rice per day?

• Yes: Reduce to 1.5 to 2 servings per day regardless of metabolic health. High intake is consistently associated with increased visceral fat in longitudinal studies. The dose-response curve is steep above 3 servings per day.

• No, eating 1 to 2 servings per day: Current intake is within the safe range for most people. Focus on optimizing type (brown rice or resistant starch) and pairing (protein, fat, fiber).

Are you on GLP-1 therapy (semaglutide, tirzepatide, or compounded versions)?

• Yes: Reduce rice portions by 30% to 50% during the first 12 weeks of treatment due to prolonged gastric emptying. Switch to brown rice or resistant starch rice. Monitor for post-meal sluggishness or reactive hypoglycemia. If symptoms persist, reduce further or eliminate temporarily.

• No: Standard recommendations apply.

Are you trying to lose visceral fat specifically (not just total weight)?

• Yes: Prioritize low-glycemic carbohydrates. Replace 50% to 75% of rice intake with non-starchy vegetables, legumes, or quinoa. Keep rice to 0.5 to 1 cup per day, brown rice or resistant starch only. Visceral fat responds more to glycemic load reduction than total calorie reduction.

• No, maintaining weight: Moderate rice intake (1 to 2 servings per day) is fine if metabolically healthy.

FAQ

Does rice make your belly fat? White rice can contribute to visceral (belly) fat in people with insulin resistance because its high glycemic index triggers insulin spikes that preferentially store calories as abdominal fat. In metabolically healthy people eating moderate portions (1 to 2 servings per day), rice doesn't uniquely cause belly fat compared to other carbohydrates.

Is white rice worse than brown rice for belly fat? Yes. White rice has a 36% higher insulin response than brown rice due to lower fiber content. Studies show people eating primarily white rice gain more visceral fat than those eating brown rice at the same calorie intake. The difference is meaningful over months to years.

How much rice per day is too much? For metabolically healthy individuals, more than 3 servings per day (3 cups cooked) is associated with increased visceral fat. For people with insulin resistance or prediabetes, more than 1 to 2 servings per day can worsen belly fat accumulation. The threshold is lower if you're already insulin-resistant.

Does cooling rice reduce belly fat? Cooling cooked rice for 12 to 24 hours before eating converts some starch into resistant starch, which lowers the insulin response by 30% to 35%. This reduces the fat-storing effect. The benefit persists after reheating. It's one of the simplest ways to make rice less likely to contribute to belly fat.

Can I eat rice on a weight-loss diet? Yes, but optimize the type and portion. Brown rice, parboiled rice, or resistant starch white rice (cooled and reheated) at 0.5 to 1 cup per meal, paired with protein and vegetables, fits into most weight-loss diets. High intake of white rice (2+ cups per meal) makes fat loss harder due to insulin spikes.

Why does rice make me bloated on GLP-1 medication? GLP-1 medications slow gastric emptying by 60% to 70%. Rice sits in your stomach longer, which extends the glucose absorption window and can cause bloating or sluggishness. Reducing portion size by 30% to 50% and switching to brown rice usually resolves the issue.

Is rice worse than bread for belly fat? They're comparable. White rice and white bread have similar glycemic indices (73 vs 75). Both trigger similar insulin responses. The difference is portion control: it's easier to overeat rice (2 to 3 cups) than bread (2 to 3 slices), which makes rice more likely to contribute to excess calorie intake and belly fat.

Does eating rice at night cause more belly fat? Timing matters less than total glycemic load. Eating rice at night doesn't uniquely cause belly fat, but eating a large high-glycemic meal before bed means elevated insulin during sleep, when you're sedentary. Eating rice earlier in the day, especially around activity, is slightly better for insulin management.

Can I lose belly fat without cutting rice? Yes, if you optimize type, portion, and pairing. Switching from white rice to brown rice or resistant starch rice, reducing portions to 0.5 to 1 cup per meal, and pairing with protein and vegetables reduces the insulin response enough that rice doesn't prevent visceral fat loss. Total calorie deficit still matters most.

What's the best rice substitute for reducing belly fat? Cauliflower rice has a glycemic index of 15 (vs 73 for white rice) and virtually no insulin response. Quinoa (glycemic index 53) is a good middle ground with more protein than rice. Shirataki rice (konjac-based) has near-zero calories and no glycemic impact. All three reduce insulin spikes compared to white rice.

Does rice cause belly fat in people without diabetes? Yes, if intake is high (3+ servings per day) and the person is insulin-resistant (which can occur without diabetes). About 35% of non-diabetic adults have some degree of insulin resistance. In truly metabolically healthy people, moderate rice intake (1 to 2 servings per day) doesn't preferentially cause belly fat.

How long does it take to lose belly fat after cutting rice? Visceral fat responds relatively quickly to glycemic load reduction. Most people see measurable waist circumference reduction (1 to 2 inches) within 6 to 8 weeks of cutting white rice and replacing it with low-glycemic alternatives, assuming total calorie intake is at or below maintenance. The effect is faster than subcutaneous fat loss.

Sources

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8. Murakami K et al. Dietary glycemic index and glycemic load in relation to changes in body composition measures. Nutrients. 2018.
9. Nauck MA et al. Semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. 2022.
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