Not all types of body fat are bad for you; some are worse than others. Knowing the differences can help people make health-related decisions that are best for them. Let’s look at which type of body fat poses greater health risks.
What Kinds of Fat Are There in the Body?
You can divide body fat into two main types: subcutaneous fat, which is just under the skin, and visceral fat, which is around your organs in your abdomen. Visceral fat builds up around organs in the abdomen, while subcutaneous fat is the layer of fat right under the skin. Both types of fat do different things in the body, but visceral fat is more closely linked to health problems.
All The Differences Between Visceral Fat and Subcutaneous Fat?
Visceral fat is metabolically active and releases chemicals that cause inflammation. These chemicals can raise the risk of getting long-term diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. On the other hand, subcutaneous fat might not be as bad for your health. Visceral fat has a higher metabolic rate than subcutaneous fat. It also releases cytokines, which are inflammatory molecules that can make insulin resistance, inflammation, and other metabolic problems worse. Because of this, people who have a lot of visceral fat are more likely to get chronic diseases than people who mostly have subcutaneous fat.
What Causes Visceral Fat to Build Up?
Genetics, diet, level of physical activity, stress, and hormonal imbalances are some of the things that can cause visceral fat to build up. Bad habits like not moving around much, eating poorly, and being under a lot of stress can make you store visceral fat. People are more or less likely to store visceral fat depending on their genes, but diet, exercise, stress management, and hormonal balance are also lifestyle factors that affect its buildup. Visceral fat can build up when you eat too many calories, especially from refined carbohydrates and sugary foods.
How Do You Measure Visceral Fat?
Visceral fat can be measured in a number of ways, such as by measuring the waist circumference, the ratio of the waist to the hips, or by using imaging techniques like MRI and CT scans. These methods give information about where a person’s visceral fat is located and their overall health risks. The waist-to-hip ratio and measuring the waist circumference are easy ways to get an idea of how much visceral fat you have. Images like MRI and CT scans, which show in detail where visceral fat deposits are, can help doctors make more accurate diagnoses.
Are There Any Health Risks That Come With Having Too Much Subcutaneous Fat?
Even though extra subcutaneous fat might not be as bad for your health as visceral fat, it can still make problems like joint pain, sleep apnea, and limited mobility worse if you are overweight. However, it doesn’t have as much of an effect on metabolic health as visceral fat. Extra subcutaneous fat, especially around the stomach, can make health problems like joint pain, sleep apnea, and trouble moving around worse in people who are overweight. But compared to visceral fat, it usually doesn’t have as much of an effect on metabolism.
How Can People Get Rid of Visceral Fat and Lower the Health Risks That Come With It?
Changes in lifestyle will help you a lot to get rid of high body fat and also in changing your lifestyle habits the first one is change your diet. Changing your lifestyle to lose visceral fat, like eating a balanced diet full of whole foods, working out regularly, learning how to deal with stress, and making sure you get enough sleep, can effectively lower the health risks that come with having too much visceral fat.
What Should People Do if They Are Worried About How Their Body Fat Is Distributed?
People who are worried about where their body fat is distributed should talk to a doctor. This person can check their overall health, give them personalized advice on how to change their lifestyle, and show them how to keep track of their body fat levels over time. People who are worried about how their body fat is distributed and the health risks that come with it should talk to a doctor. To improve health outcomes, a healthcare provider can do assessments, make personalized suggestions, and keep an eye on changes in the distribution of body fat.
What We Concluded from Above?
People can lower their health risks and improve their overall well-being by learning about the things that cause visceral fat to build up and making healthy lifestyle choices. Now you have knowledge which type of body fat poses greater health risks.