Visceral Fat vs Subcutaneous Fat

Lately on blogs and fitness websites I'm a member of I have noticed a lot of concern and "advice" about Visceral Fat. I put the word advice in parenthesis because some of the information that is being passed around is incorrect and/or makes it a lot more complicated than it really has to be.


First, let's distinguish between Subcutaneous Fat and Visceral Fat.

Subcutaneous fat is the kind of fat that we all notice on ourselves as well as others. It's the kind of fat the lies just below the skin. So, when you reach down and grab the flat (if you have any) around your belly, you are essentially grabbing the Subcutaneous Fat. This type of fat is mostly just cosmetically unappealing to most people, although, having too much of it is a sign that a person is eating too much or too much of the wrong things in and/or is too sedentary (getting too little physical activity) which could lead to other health complications. Not too mention, the toll it is taking on their knees and other joints to carry around the extra weight. So, that is Subcutaneous Fat.

Visceral Fat is another type of belly fat that forms within the body taking up space between the organs. It is more dangerous than subcutaneous fat because it can trigger the body to release unwanted hormones which may cause negative reactions and even some serious complications.  Research is still being done on the most affective way to get rid of visceral fat. However, according to an article entitled "Abdominal Fat and What to do About It" by the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide it is believed that visceral fat is easier to get rid of than subcutaneous fat.

As it now stands, the best thing any one can do to get rid of either kind of fat is exercise! Imagine that! According to the Mayo clinic's website  in at article on Women's Health titled "Belly Fat in Women: Taking - and Keeping it Off" crunches and other abdominal exercises only help to strengthen stomach muscles, they do not get rid of fat. The article under the heading Trimming the Fat suggests moderate to vigorous aerobic activity is the best way to lose fat.

If you would like to read more about visceral fat, the complications it can present, or what you can do about it I suggest reading the articles referenced in this post.

The Harvard Medical School Family Guide: Abdominal fat and what to do about it
http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/Abdominal-fat-and-what-to-do-about-it.shtml

The Mayo Clinic: Women's health: Belly fat in women: taking - and keeping it off
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/belly-fat/WO00128/NSECTIONGROUP=2

I have referenced and included these sites because they are reputable medical sites. I have read too many posts about visceral fat that are inaccurate and some are just down right scarey, not to mention misleading. One of the posts detailed a complicated exercise regime that the author suggested was the best way to lose visceral fat to the point of putting down many other workout regimens, thus discouraging and scaring many of the members of the site.

Any time you read a blog post or news article always double check with reputable peer reviewed sites to make sure you are getting accurate information. The person that posted the blog on the other site hinted at the idea that he was a personal trainer or something along those lines, which made me wonder if he wasn't trying to literally scare up some business for himself. If you read something that sounds kind of dramatic or something that makes you think you need to make a major change to your life. I encourage you to research it yourself using reputable sites. (FYI wiki sites, while they often do have accurate information, are not peer reviewed. So they may not be the best sites to seek health and fitness information.)