Subcutaneous and Visceral fat

Subcutaneous Fat

Subcutaneous fat is found directly under the skin.

Visceral Fat

Visceral or "deep" fat is found around your inner organs and creates trouble for your health. How do you know if you have visceral fat? If you have a large waist or belly, you have visceral fat, visceral fat drives up your risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and dementia.  

Visceral fat is thought to play a larger role in insulin resistance, which boosts risk of diabetes more than other fat.

Records taken on height, weight, and belly diameter, (a reflection of the amount of visceral fat), show that those with the biggest bellies have a higher risk of dementia than those with smaller bellies.

Belly Fat

Belly fat has a mostly deserved reputation as an unhealthy fat. Belly fat is both visceral and subcutaneous.

How big is too big?  Women with a waist circumference more than 90 centimetres and men with a waist circumference more than 102 centimetres are at increased disease risk.

Abdominal fat is viewed as a bigger health risk than hip or thigh fat, having a worse effect on insulin resistance, boosting the risk of diabetes, and a worse effect on blood lipids, boosting heart and stroke risks.

While men tend to accumulate fat in the belly, it's no secret women, especially if "pear-shaped," accumulate it in their thighs and buttocks.

Weight Loss and Fat Loss

So when you lose weight, what kind or kinds of fat do you lose? You're losing subcutaneous fat; people tend to lose evenly all over, however, if you add activity to your healthy eating plan, you will tend to lose slightly more visceral fat from your belly.