Measuring visceral fat accurately poses challenges due to Subcutanoeus deep internal location. Though the Fqt might sound dated, "middle-age spread" is a greater concern than ever. But research has shown that fat cells — particularly visceral fat cells — are biologically active.

Subcutaneous fat and body shape -

Also, visceral fat tends to be higher in people of European origin compared with people of other ethnicities 2. Subcutaneous fat is the soft belly fat that you can poke.

Meanwhile, visceral belly fat surrounds the organs in your abdominal cavity and is strongly linked to increased disease risk.

While having some belly fat is normal and necessary for good health, having too much belly fat may harm your health and increase your disease risk. Visceral fat is located near your portal vein, which carries blood from your gastrointestinal tract to your liver for processing. Visceral fat transfers fatty acids, inflammatory proteins, and other dangerous substances to your liver.

As such, visceral fat is associated with liver inflammation and higher amounts of liver fat, which increases your risk of developing conditions like insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease 17 , Studies show that excess body fat accumulation is a major factor in the development of insulin resistance, blood vessel dysfunction, fatty liver, atherosclerosis plaque buildup in the arteries , high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome Research also suggests that people who have more visceral fat are at a greater risk of several health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic disease, fatty liver, and elevated heart disease risk factors like high blood fat and blood pressure levels 18 , 20 , 21 , Additionally, a study in over 36, people found that those with a higher amount of visceral fat than subcutaneous fat were more likely to die from any cause than those who had lower amounts of visceral fat Having a larger waist circumference is also strongly linked to increased disease risk.

Waist circumference is a way to assess total abdominal fat, so both subcutaneous and visceral fat are contributing factors to this measurement Studies consistently show that maintaining a healthy waist circumference and reducing waist circumference through diet and exercise leads to significant improvements in many aspects of health, especially heart health and diabetes risk 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , Visceral fat is strongly linked to increased disease risk.

Keep in mind that, although diet and lifestyle play a significant role in belly fat accumulation, factors like your age, sex, and genetics also have an effect. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to lose excess belly fat, and in turn, reduce your risk of many health conditions.

Here are some evidence-based tips to lose belly fat :. In addition to the tips listed above, recent research suggests that some people with too much belly fat may benefit from reducing their carb intake.

Interestingly, both diets resulted in similar amounts of weight and total body fat loss, but the low carb, high fat diet was more effective at reducing belly fat, specifically.

Other studies have also found that restricting carbs may help reduce visceral fat among people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, as well as women with polycystic ovarian syndrome PCOS 54 , However, diet is highly individualized, and some people may obtain better results with a higher carb intake, particularly if those carbs are consumed as part of a fiber-rich, plant-forward diet that includes whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruit Working with a knowledgeable healthcare professional like a registered dietitian can help you choose an appropriate dietary pattern that promotes belly fat loss and overall health and meets your specific needs and preferences.

Belly fat reduction strategies include exercising more, eating more fiber-rich foods, cutting out sugary beverages and ultra-processed foods, and getting enough sleep.

Also, consider working with a registered dietitian for personalized nutrition advice. Having excess amounts of belly fat, especially the visceral type, is associated with negative health outcomes, including an increased risk of developing conditions like metabolic disease and fatty liver.

Fortunately, there are many healthy ways to reduce excess belly fat, including increasing your intake of nutrient-dense foods, getting enough sleep, and moving your body more. Remember that creating healthy, sustainable habits is much more important for your overall well-being than aiming for quick weight loss.

If you need more personalized dietary advice on how to lose excess belly fat and reduce your disease risk, contact a knowledgeable registered dietitian. Once that becomes a habit, increase your walking time or add another activity that you enjoy.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Walking is a great form of physical activity that's free, low risk and easy to do.

Importantly, it can also help you lose weight and belly fat. Excess belly fat is very unhealthy. It can drive diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Here are 11 things that can make you gain belly fat. Patients with diabetes who used GLP-1 drugs, including tirzepatide, semaglutide, dulaglutide, and exenatide had a decreased chance of being diagnosed….

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New research reveals the states with the highest number of prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic?

As the evidence against abdominal fat mounts, researchers and clinicians are trying to measure it, correlate it with health risks, and monitor changes that occur with age and overall weight gain or loss.

The fat you can pinch is subcutaneous fat. The fat inside your belly the visceral fat can be seen and measured, but not pinched.

How do you lose belly fat? No surprise: exercise and diet. Staying physically active throughout the day as well as scheduling time for structured exercise may be even more important than diet.

Research suggests that fat cells — particularly abdominal fat cells — are biologically active. It's appropriate to think of fat as an endocrine organ or gland, producing hormones and other substances that can profoundly affect our health.

Although scientists are still deciphering the roles of individual hormones, it's becoming clear that excess body fat, especially abdominal fat, disrupts the normal balance and functioning of these hormones. Scientists are also learning that visceral fat pumps out immune system chemicals called cytokines — for example, tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-6 — that can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

These and other biochemicals are thought to have deleterious effects on cells' sensitivity to insulin, blood pressure, and blood clotting. One reason excess visceral fat is so harmful could be its location near the portal vein, which carries blood from the intestinal area to the liver.

Substances released by visceral fat, including free fatty acids, enter the portal vein and travel to the liver, where they can influence the production of blood lipids. Visceral fat is directly linked with higher total cholesterol and LDL bad cholesterol, lower HDL good cholesterol, and insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance means that your body's muscle and liver cells don't respond adequately to normal levels of insulin, the pancreatic hormone that carries glucose into the body's cells. Glucose levels in the blood rise, heightening the risk for diabetes.

Now for the good news. So what can we do about tubby tummies? A lot, it turns out. The starting point for bringing weight under control, in general, and combating abdominal fat, in particular, is regular moderate-intensity physical activity — at least 30 minutes per day and perhaps up to 60 minutes per day to control weight and lose belly fat.

Strength training exercising with weights may also help fight abdominal fat. Spot exercising, such as doing sit-ups, can tighten abdominal muscles, but it won't get at visceral fat.

Diet is also important. Pay attention to portion size, and emphasize complex carbohydrates fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and lean protein over simple carbohydrates such as white bread, refined-grain pasta, and sugary drinks.

Replacing saturated fats and trans fats with polyunsaturated fats can also help. Scientists hope to develop drug treatments that target abdominal fat. For now, experts stress that lifestyle, especially exercise, is the very best way to fight visceral fat.

As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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Back to Blog. Mood enhancer music this is Subcutaheous always the case. A person Subfutaneous appear Self-care tools for effective diabetes control be Suubcutaneous and healthy, ehape actually have dangerous levels of body fat Subcutaneous fat and body shape. If they were to calculate their body mass index BMI or even weigh themselves, they may appear to be healthy, but this can be deceiving. Unlike body composition scalesBMI only takes height and weight into account. Even WHO states that BMI should only be a rough guide, as it uses the same body fat percentage across all individuals. That means that, while subcutaneous fat is easy to see and understand, visceral fat can hide behind a healthy BMI.

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