What is Visceral Fat?

What is visceral fat & why is it bad for your health?

Visceral fat, also known as “belly fat,” is the fat that surrounds the internal organs in the abdominal cavity. Unlike subcutaneous fat, which is found just under the skin, visceral fat is located deep inside the body, surrounding the organs in the abdominal cavity. This type of fat is particularly dangerous because it is associated with an increased risk of several serious health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. 

One of the main reasons why visceral fat is so dangerous is because it is metabolically active. This means that it releases inflammatory chemicals and hormones that can disrupt the body’s normal functioning. For example, visceral fat releases a hormone called leptin, which is responsible for regulating appetite. When there is too much visceral fat, the body becomes resistant to leptin, leading to overeating and weight gain. 

Another reason why visceral fat is bad for our health is because it is closely linked to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. This can lead to an increase in blood sugar levels, which can increase the risk of diabetes. 

Visceral fat can also increase the risk of heart disease by raising levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides, while lowering levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. Additionally, it can increase the risk of certain cancers, including breast and colon cancer. 

To reduce visceral fat, it is important to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and a balanced diet. A diet that is low in saturated fat and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help to reduce the amount of belly fat. Additionally, regular exercise, such as cardiovascular exercise, can help to burn fat and build muscle, which can help to reduce the amount of visceral fat in the body. 

In conclusion, visceral fat is a type of fat that surrounds the internal organs in the abdominal cavity. This type of fat is particularly dangerous because it is associated with an increased risk of several serious health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. A healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and a balanced diet is the key to reducing visceral fat. 

At Empowered Health, we offer a body composition analysis that evaluates your body’s balance between muscle and fat. This easy-to-use device measures factors such as total body water, body fat percentage and skeletal muscle mass percentage.  

Body composition is essential for understanding your physiological makeup and is appropriate for all age ranges. It tracks changes in weight, skeletal muscle mass and percent of body fat over time.  

This analysis can help determine if there is excess visceral fat and if it is increasing your risk for heart disease, diabetes and more. Visceral fat is a type of fat that surrounds the internal organs in the abdominal cavity. This type of fat is particularly dangerous because it is associated with an increased risk of several serious health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. A healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and a balanced diet is the key to reducing visceral fat.

The in-depth analysis evaluates if you have a sufficient level of lean body mass in each segment of the body (arms, legs and trunk) and spots any imbalances between the limbs.  

It also measures your water mass and implications by identifying swelling and other types of water retention. This simple test is done at Empowered Health by standing on the device while holding the electrodes with immediate results.