Worried about your visceral fat level? Here's what every woman needs to know

Not all fat found in your body is the same, and one type you should be mindful of is visceral fat: a potentially dangerous kind of fat that comes with several health risks.

Concerned there’s too much of it hiding inside your body? Here’s the lowdown on why visceral fat is so risky, how to figure out your actual visceral fat level, and what you can do to try and get rid of it.

What is visceral fat?

Visceral fat is stored in the internal areas of your body – specifically, in your abdomen and around organs like your liver, intestines and pancreas. 

Only about 10% of your overall fat levels consist of visceral fat, but there’s a reason there’s such a strong focus on it: too much of it can increase your risk of all kinds of health issues, including serious ones like heart disease and diabetes.

What is the difference between visceral fat and subcutaneous fat?

You’ve got two types of fat in your body: subcutaneous and visceral. 

Subcutaneous fat makes up the remaining 90%, and it’s the kind of fat you can feel. It sits just under your skin, mostly around your belly, thighs, buttocks and hips, and is soft and squishy. When you pinch yourself, what you’re feeling is subcutaneous fat.

Visceral fat, on the other hand, sits deep behind your abdominal wall. It’s hard and dense, and you can’t see it or feel it with your fingers. This is why it’s often known as ‘hidden fat’.

Out of the two, visceral fat is the one that gets the most heat, because it’s associated with several health problems.

Health impacts of each type of fat

You need a certain amount of both types of fat for your body to function. But too much fat can contribute to certain health issues. Generally speaking, if you’ve got excess subcutaneous fat, it’s a solid sign you’ve got too much visceral fat.

Excess visceral fat is linked to [1]:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Some types of cancer, including colon, breast and endometrial cancer
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Kidney disease
• Chronic inflammation
• Dementia
• Osteoarthritis
• Sleep apnea
• Hormonal problems

Why visceral fat is more dangerous

Visceral fat poses a far greater threat because it releases certain proteins, called cytokines, which can be detrimental to your health [2]. Cytokines are a necessary part of your hormone response, but if your levels become too high, they can cause inflammation across your body. Inflammation is one of the biggest triggers for all kinds of health problems, including the ones mentioned above.

What causes visceral fat?

Visceral fat can be caused by lots of different factors, such as:

• Hormonal factors: Different hormonal imbalances can increase visceral fat. Chronically elevated cortisol levels, often triggered by ongoing stress, can promote visceral fat storage, as can menopause. Menopause causes hormonal changes that can impact fat distribution and storage
• Diet and lifestyle contributors: Eating certain foods, particularly sugar, fatty and ultra-processed ones, can contribute to excess visceral fat. Other lifestyle factors, like inactivity, consuming too many calories, alcohol intake, and sleep deprivation, also play a role
• Genetics and age-related factors: Your genes are one of the biggest determinants of how and where your body stores fat. Also, you tend to store more visceral fat as you get older, especially after menopause

How to measure visceral fat

If you’re worried you’ve got too much visceral fat, there are different ways you can have your level measured.

Medical imaging (DEXA scans, MRIs)

Medical imaging tools like MRIs, DEXA scans and CT scans can all measure your visceral fat level quite accurately. Each one analyses your overall body composition, including bone, muscle and fat, and detects both the amount and location of visceral fat in the body. Just note that these methods can be expensive.

At-home tools: smart scales and waist measurement

You can also easily measure your level of visceral fat. Smart scales estimate your muscle, bone, water weight and visceral fat levels, although not to the same degree of accuracy as medical imaging tools.

If you’ve got a tape measure handy, you can wrap it around your waist to get a sense of how much visceral fat is sitting in your abdominal area. Your waist circumference is generally a solid indicator of visceral fat, with a larger one suggesting a higher level. In women, a waist circumference of more than 80cm indicates a greater risk of visceral fat.

Limitations of BMI and body weight alone

Your body mass index (BMI) can be a useful aid for figuring out your fat levels, but it tells a rather limited story. It factors in your overall body weight, including muscle, which weighs more than fat and can skew your result. If you’re losing body fat and building muscle mass, your weight may show up higher even though you’ve got a lower fat percentage.

How much visceral fat is normal?

Ideally, visceral fat should make up 10% or less of your overall body fat. 

Your visceral fat level correlates with your total body fat percentage. So, to work out how much visceral fat is in your body, take your total body fat percentage and deduct 10%. If the result is higher than it should be, you can safely assume your visceral fat level is also too high.

Understanding visceral fat ratings (1–59 scale)

Alternatively, you can use a Tanita body composition analyser to gauge your visceral fat level. The product delivers a rating between 1 and 59 to indicate how severe your level is.

A rating of 1-12 shows you’ve got healthy visceral fat levels, while 13-59 means you’ve got too much.

Visceral fat levels by age and gender

While women generally have higher fat levels overall, men typically store more visceral fat, especially abdominal fat. This is true regardless of age.

However, both men and women tend to gain more visceral fat as they get older. Menopause can also amplify the accumulation of visceral fat, as it changes how your body distributes and stores fat. Age-related visceral fat gain also increases the risk of particular health issues, which is why it’s so important to stay aware of your visceral fat level.

When visceral fat becomes a health concern

Even though visceral fat gets a bad rap, it does have some utility when there are moderate amounts of it in the body. It helps protect your organs against injury, stores energy that your body can use for fuel, and plays a key role in hormone production. It’s when there’s an excess of it that it becomes an issue.

What foods cause visceral fat?

Several foods are linked to excess visceral fat, such as:

• Ultra-processed foods: Foods such as frozen meals, packaged snacks, commercially prepared baked goods and fast food are all packed with refined carbs, trans fats and other additives that can disrupt your metabolism and promote higher visceral fat. It’s also easy to over-eat them, making you consume too many calories
• High-sugar foods: Foods packed with sugar can mess with your blood sugar and insulin levels and encourage your body to store more fat
• Hidden fats: There’s often a lot of saturated and trans fats hiding in foods like processed meats, takeaways and baked goods. These fats are linked to inflammation and increased visceral fat storage
• Alcohol: Alcohol contains empty calories, which add to your overall calorie intake without offering any nutritional benefit. This is why excessive drinking can eventually lead to increased visceral fat

How do you get rid of visceral fat?

A combination of exercise, diet and other lifestyle changes can help get rid of excess visceral fat. When you lower your overall body fat, your visceral fat level goes down too.

Best types of exercise for deep belly fat

You’ve got a few options when it comes to exercise. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an effective way to burn visceral fat, but even doing 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio most days of the week can help. This could be anything from a brisk walk or light jog to swimming, cycling or dancing.

And don’t forget about strength training, be it using free weights, machines or your body weight. Doing just a couple of sessions each week will help build muscle and reduce body fat.

Dietary strategies that work

Instead of ultra-processed, sugary and fatty foods, incorporate more lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes and low-fat dairy into your diet. Research shows that intermittent fasting may also help reduce visceral fat over time [3].

While you’re at it, try and curb your alcohol intake and keep it to a moderate level. No more than one drink daily (or less if you can manage it) is considered a safe amount when trying to lose weight [4].

Sleep and stress management for fat loss

Chronic stress and poor sleep are linked to higher visceral fat, so addressing these may support your weight loss efforts.

Try stress relief techniques like meditation, deep breathing, yoga, journaling and practising regular self-care. Improve your sleep hygiene by avoiding screens for at least an hour before bed, making your bedroom a cool, dark and quiet environment, and maintaining a consistent bedtime.

Sustainable weight loss vs crash dieting

It’s important to steer clear of crash diets that promise overly rapid results. Losing weight too quickly can backfire and alter your metabolism, meaning you’re more likely to regain the weight. A sustainable weight loss strategy helps you implement life-long habits that not only help you lose the weight but keep it off long-term.

How long does it take to see results

Losing weight sustainably means dropping about 0.5 to 1kg each week. You’ll likely notice changes to your overall fat levels and visceral fat measures within a few months.

How to prevent visceral fat

The keys to preventing visceral fat are much the same as those that help you lose it. Limit your intake of foods that cause visceral fat, focus on those that deliver long-term nutritional benefits and make you feel fuller for longer (like lean proteins), move your body regularly and incorporate adequate strength training to build muscle, and keep your stress levels and sleep quality in check.

It won’t necessarily be a given that you’ll be able to stop excess visceral fat completely, as there are some factors largely out of your control, like genetics and hormonal changes. But sticking to healthy lifestyle habits can certainly help.

When to see a doctor about visceral fat

If your waist circumference is above 80cm, reach out to your GP to discuss how to reduce it. The same goes if you’re experiencing high blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol, all of which are additional risk factors for certain health conditions.

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