What is visceral fat and how do you get rid of it?

Visceral fat is a tricky term, and many people don't know what it is. But visceral fat is one of the most harmful types of fat in your body. It is not the same as belly fat, but it does sit in your abdominal cavity. You can't feel or see this fat, which also makes it very dangerous. It's important to know what visceral fat is and how to get rid of it if you have too much. In this article, we tell you everything about visceral fat, including how it develops and how to get rid of it. So keep reading if you want to know all about visceral fat.

WHAT IS VISCERAL FAT?

Visceral fat is hard to see, so you don't really know how much of it you have. It sits between your organs, which is why it's also called organ fat. Because of where it sits, it is a dangerous type of fat. You can be very slim, for example, and still have a lot of visceral fat. That's why many people don't know it's a problem. But visceral fat can build up around vital organs, such as your intestines or your liver. It can build up in your arteries without you noticing.

IS VISCERAL FAT DANGEROUS?

If you have a lot of visceral fat, it can cause health problems. Visceral fat puts pressure on your abdominal cavity, where important organs are located. Besides clogged arteries, it can cause more inflammation than you're used to. Visceral fat also increases the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. You can measure how much visceral fat you have and when it becomes dangerous for you.

HOW CAN YOU MEASURE VISCERAL FAT?

You can have your visceral fat measured by a doctor, but you can also do it entirely by yourself. To do this, measure the widest parts of your waist and hips with a tape measure. This method isn't completely accurate, but it does give an indication. Once you have measured your hips and waist, divide one number by the other. A healthy male body should score below 1.0, and for women the score should be below 0.85. You can also use your BMI in combination with your waist measurement as an indicator. If your BMI score is high and you have a large waist, there is a very high chance that you have too much visceral fat.

HOW DOES VISCERAL FAT DEVELOP?

Genetics determine that some people have a higher visceral body fat percentage than others. There is also a difference between men and women when it comes to storing visceral fat. In men, regardless of age, fat is more often stored around the abdomen. In women, it is also stored on the hips, buttocks and legs. As women get older, around the menopause, they gain more fat around the abdomen. Visceral fat develops in the same way as regular fat: by taking in more calories than you burn. A number of other factors also influence how visceral fat develops, namely:

• Unhealthy, heavy alcohol use

• Your age

• Too few hours of sleep

• Unhealthy lifestyle habits (smoking, eating badly)

• Little to no exercise

There's no reason to panic if you think you have too much visceral fat. Just like with your 'regular' fat, there is a way to burn it.

HOW CAN YOU BURN VISCERAL FAT?

Burning visceral fat is very sensible, because it can be very dangerous for your health. However, it isn't easy. It requires changes to your diet and lifestyle. There are three simple methods to get rid of your visceral fat: exercise more, eat healthier and change your lifestyle habits. A healthy diet aimed at losing weight and belly fat can help you to lower this excess body fat percentage. On top of that, exercising more to burn fat is always a good approach.

It's also important to bring down the stress hormone 'cortisol'. This hormone affects how your body holds on to fat. When you experience a lot of stress, it's harder to get rid of excess fat.

We hope this blog has given you more information about visceral fat. Be aware of this type of fat and avoid dangerous situations.