What is Visceral Fat? The Dangers!

Updated: Aug 11, 2022

Visceral fat is a very serious issue. You can have six-pack abs and still have a lot of visceral fat, which can lead to heart disease and diabetes. If you want to know more about visceral fat, keep reading!

What is visceral fat?

You've probably heard of subcutaneous fat, the kind that collects around your thighs and arms. You may not have heard of visceral fat, though; it's the stuff that's stored deep in your abdomen and around organs like the liver and pancreas. Visceral fat is more dangerous than subcutaneous fat because it builds up around your internal organs and releases hormones that can lead to health issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Visceral fat tends to be more common in women than men—and if you're one of them, there are some simple ways you can take charge of your health by reducing this type of body fat.

Why is visceral fat more dangerous than subcutaneous fat?

It's true that visceral fat is more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. It’s also true that you should be trying to lose it and all other forms of body fat as much as possible.

Why? Because visceral fat is more likely to cause heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and inflammation than other types of body fat. Visceral fat also makes your body release certain hormones that can make you feel hungrier (even when you're not actually hungry).

How do you know if you have too much visceral fat?

If you're not sure if you have visceral fat, there are a few ways to check. If your waist measurement is higher than 35 inches for women or 40 inches for men, then you should run an extra mile or two each day after work to burn off that excess fat. You can also ask a friend of yours who may be willing to measure their own waist and compare it with yours—a good rule of thumb here is if they have a lower number (and therefore less visceral fat), then maybe it's time to hit the gym together!

And don't forget: measuring tape is key here.

Alternatively, if none of those options appeal to you (or if a friend isn't available), try measuring your body mass index (BMI) instead! BMI measures weight relative to height and is one way of seeing if someone has too much fat on them; according to the World Health Organization [WHO], anyone with an excess amount of body fat should aim for a BMI between 18-25 in order not only look great but also feel healthy inside and out!

High blood pressure and high blood sugar can cause visceral fat to accumulate.

Another problem with visceral fat is that it’s more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. Subcutaneous fat is the stuff under your skin, and it doesn’t cause nearly as many health problems as visceral fat does. Visceral fat can increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. It also increases inflammation in the body and insulin resistance, which means that your body isn't able to break down sugar properly.

How can you reduce your visceral fat?

To reduce your visceral fat, you should:

Lose weight. There's a strong correlation between body mass index (BMI) and visceral fat. The more excess weight you have, the more likely it is that you'll have excess visceral fat. Losing even 5-10% of your current body weight can help to reduce your overall amount of visceral fat.
Exercise regularly. Exercise increases muscle and lean tissue, which in turn helps to lower blood sugar and insulin levels and decrease lipids in the bloodstream, all of which serve to reduce abdominal obesity. Cardio exercise like running or cycling is particularly effective at burning off excess energy stores in the form of triglycerides (another type of lipid).
Reduce stress levels by getting enough sleep and reducing sources of mental stress like family conflict or work issues; stress has been shown to increase production/release of cortisol from the adrenal glands, which can contribute to abdominal obesity by increasing blood sugar levels and encouraging overproduction/storage as new fats around organs such as liver & pancreas (in addition to having negative effects on other parts such as brain & muscles). This ties into points made above about losing excess weight because one way this happens is through increased activity level when we feel motivated after better managing our emotions related with those stressful situations - so if there's something bothering you now then get started working through it right away!

Step to getting rid of visceral fat

The first step to getting rid of visceral fat is to start doing more strength training.
It's easy! All you have to do is pick up a kettlebells, and do Overhead Swings with a kettlebells at least 5 to 10 for beginner's and 10 to 20 reps after you get in the advanced. It one of the best exercises to lose weight and fat with resistant training.

Don't worry if that doesn't seem very… practical or realistic for everyday life for you. There are plenty of other ways people get strong without having to lug around heavy objects all day long—like using machines at a gym or working out on an elliptical machine at home.
Strength training can help you lose weight by increasing your metabolism (the rate at which calories are burned). You see, when we gain muscle mass the body needs more energy (calories) than before because it has more tissue to feed! That’s why people who lift weights often end up eating less than those who don’t lift weights—because they need fewer calories now that they're stronger than they were before they started lifting weights (which also means they burn off more fat). But keep in mind: This isn't a miracle cure! Just because one pound of muscle takes up much less space than one pound of fat doesn’t mean that adding an extra 5 pounds won't make any difference when it comes time for fitting into those jeans again...

Visceral fat is a serious health risk and can lead to a number of diseases. It’s important to know how to identify and reduce it in your body.

If you are looking for an easy way to track your weight and keep your body weight in check, you should consider buying a intelligent weight scale. This is the one I recommend!

Etekcity Apex Smart WiFi Body Fat Scale

on Amazon has over 120k reviews and got 4.7 out 5 star rating.