Visceral fat can be measured in a variety of ways. ![]() That should give you a good idea of whether you're gaining unhealthy visceral fat. Rather than focus on a single reading or absolute cut-off, keep an eye on whether your waist is growing (are your pants getting snug at the waist?). In women, a waist circumference of 35 inches or larger is generally considered a sign of excess visceral fat, but that may not apply if your overall body size is large. (According to official guidelines, the bottom of the tape measure should be level with the top of the right hip bone, or ilium - see the illustration - at the point where the ilium intersects a line dropped vertically from the center of the armpit.) Don't suck in your gut or pull the tape tight enough to compress the area. Measure your waistline at the level of the navel - not at the narrowest part of the torso - and always measure in the same place. Gut checkĪ tape measure is your best home option for keeping tabs on visceral fat. It also produces a precursor to angiotensin, a protein that causes blood vessels to constrict and blood pressure to rise. Visceral fat makes more of the proteins called cytokines, which can trigger low-level inflammation, a risk factor for heart disease and other chronic conditions. Subcutaneous fat produces a higher proportion of beneficial molecules, and visceral fat a higher proportion of molecules with potentially deleterious health effects. Researchers have identified a host of chemicals that link visceral fat to a surprisingly wide variety of diseases. We now know that there's far more to the story. One of the most important developments is the realization that the fat cell is an endocrine organ, secreting hormones and other molecules that have far-reaching effects on other tissues.īefore researchers recognized that fat acts as an endocrine gland, they thought that the main risk of visceral fat was influencing the production of cholesterol by releasing free fatty acids into the bloodstream and liver. But research has shown that fat cells - particularly visceral fat cells - are biologically active. Subcutaneous fat is located between the skin and the outer abdominal wall.īody fat, or adipose tissue, was once regarded as little more than a storage depot for fat blobs waiting passively to be used for energy. Visceral fat lies in the spaces between the abdominal organs and in an apron of tissue called the omentum. Even if you don't actually gain weight, your waistline can grow by inches as visceral fat pushes out against the abdominal wall. The omentum gets harder and thicker as it fills with fat.Īlthough visceral fat makes up only a small proportion of body fat, it's a key player in a variety of health problems.Īs women go through their middle years, their proportion of fat to body weight tends to increase - more than it does in men - and fat storage begins favoring the upper body over the hips and thighs. It's also stored in the omentum, an apron-like flap of tissue that lies under the belly muscles and blankets the intestines. It's found in the spaces surrounding the liver, intestines, and other organs. The remaining 10% - called visceral or intra-abdominal fat - lies out of reach, beneath the firm abdominal wall. If you poke your belly, the fat that feels soft is subcutaneous fat. In most people, about 90% of body fat is subcutaneous, the kind that lies in a layer just beneath the skin. When it comes to body fat, location counts, and each year brings new evidence that the fat lying deep within the abdomen is more perilous than the fat you can pinch with your fingers. But saddlebags and ballooning bellies are not equivalent. No matter what your body shape, excess fat isn't good for your health. ![]() Unlike fat parked on the hips and thighs, fat around the middle produces substances that can create serious health risks.
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