Visceral Fat
Visceral Fat is a type of fat that is stored inside your abdomen, surrounding your internal organs including your liver, pancreas, and intestines, it is linked to several serious health risks.
Why track my Visceral Fat?
Are there other ways to track Visceral fat?
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DEXA Scan​​​
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High Accuracy, and typically performed in an office setting
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MRI
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Most Accurate, but expensive and performed in an office setting
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Bioimpedance scale
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Less precise, however can be performed at home with a personal scale
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Manual measurement
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Waist circumference and Wasit-to-Hip ratio can provide a rough indicator of risk
Elevated levels of visceral fat not only increase disease risk, but can also physically change how your body functions.
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Here is how impacts your body:
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Increases inflammation in your body, which is linked to chronic diseases.
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Disrupts hormones that regulate hunger, insulin, and metabolism.
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Raises risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and fatty liver disease.
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Often goes unnoticed, especially in people who appear slim but have high internal fat—known as “TOFI” (thin outside, fat inside).​​​
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You can’t see visceral fat, but it affects almost everything under the surface—your metabolism, your energy levels, and your long-term health. Tracking it gives you insight into what’s really going on in your body, beyond just what the mirror shows.
Visceral fat is an important body composition metric to keep track of when managing your personal wellness.
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Unlike subcutaneous fat (which lies just beneath the skin), visceral fat is hidden deep inside your abdomen, packed around your internal organs. While some visceral fat is needed to cushion your organs, too much becomes harmful to your health.
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Visceral fat can act more like an active organ than other fats, releasing hormones and inflammatory chemicals that can impact a body's systems. High levels are linked to:
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Heart disease
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Type 2 diabetes
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Insulin resistance
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High blood pressure
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High cholesterol
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Certain cancers
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Visceral fat tends to build up within a body due to factors including poor diet, lack of exercise, high stress levels, and genetics.
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In short, it increases your risk of serious, long-term health problems, and maintaining an awareness of your visceral fat levels can help you catch potential health risks early, allowing you to take steps towards remediation.