Visceral Fat vs. Subcutaneous Fat: What Are They?

We all have fat tissue on our bodies.

Yes, everyone.

Even the finely tuned athletes gracing the covers of bodybuilder magazines have some.

It’s normal, and our bodies need a certain amount of fat to keep things moving. Fat isn’t inherently “bad.” It’s a vital part of how our bodies work.

“Fat is stored energy,” says family medicine physician David Brill, DO. “Your body saves up extra calories so it can use them when it needs more energy. For almost all of human history, starvation was a much bigger threat than obesity. So, our bodies evolved to store excess energy for when food is scarce.”

But how much you have and where it’s stored can make a big difference when it comes to your health. That’s why understanding the differences between visceral fat and subcutaneous fat matters.

The differences between visceral and subcutaneous fat

Your body stores excess calories as one of two kinds of fat:

• Visceral fat lives deep in your belly. It surrounds your organs. Unlike soft and squishy subcutaneous fat, it makes your belly firm to the touch.
• Subcutaneous fat is just under your skin. “It’s the pinchable kind,” Dr. Brill says. You can find it on your belly, arms, legs, butt and so on.

Here’s a quick chart to see the difference:

Which is worse, visceral or subcutaneous fat?

Troubles can arise when you have more fat in storage than your body needs. Visceral fat is the one to be most wary of.

It’s not about your appearance either — it’s about your risk for serious health concerns.

Visceral fat takes up space inside your abdomen. That means it gets in the way of vital organs, like your liver, kidneys and intestines. It puts extra pressure on them and keeps them from doing their jobs efficiently.

“Visceral fat contributes to what I call ‘the three horsemen of the apocalypse’: high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar,” Dr. Brill shares. “Those are the beginning points for things like diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, stroke and other life-threatening health conditions.”

Subcutaneous fat, on the other hand, isn’t as problematic on its own. But having excess subcutaneous fat is often a sign of more visceral fat, so it’s not without its risks.

What causes visceral and subcutaneous fat?

Our bodies are very good at making the most of what they get. When we eat and drink calories, our cells use only what they need and hold on to the rest.

It’s a kind of biological savings account: When your body needs more energy, it’ll pull from those reserves to power your systems. But when and why it’s stored as visceral or subcutaneous fat isn’t cut and dried. A lot of it has to do with your genetics.

“If you look at families, you can see a lot of similarities in how their body weight is distributed,” Dr. Brill points out. “If your biological parents and grandparents were prone to visceral fat, chances are, you will be, too.”

How to lose visceral and subcutaneous fat

Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to target losing one kind of fat over the other. Your lifestyle and your genetics will determine where it accumulates and where your body turns to use up its stores first.

That said, losing excess body fat can help your body work its best. Burning subcutaneous fat will lower your risk of visceral fat, which, in turn, will lower your risk for serious chronic conditions.

But how? “The only way to burn off fat is to live off of it,” Dr. Brill states.

That means you need to create a calorie deficit — burn more energy than you take in.

Try:

• Walking more
• Eating more whole (natural) foods and fewer processed ones
• Doing more lifting, bending and stretching
• Drinking more water and fewer sugary drinks

Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week, and add more as you become accustomed to it.

And don’t neglect the strength-training exercises two or three days a week. Without adequate attention, your body can start pulling energy from your muscle stores, rather than visceral or subcutaneous fat. That’s not doing your health any favors. Muscle is important for going about your daily activities, and it helps burn more fat, too.

At the end of the day, you need fat to live. It’s there to keep your body moving in times of scarcity. But too much can hurt your health. If that’s you, talk with a healthcare provider about how your body composition is affecting your well-being and what to do about it.