The fat you cannot see can matter the most
Visceral fat sits deep in your abdomen, around your liver, pancreas and intestines. Unlike the fat just under your skin, you cannot see it or feel it, and you can be normal weight but have excess visceral fat.
- Visceral fat
- Subcutaneous fat
- Healthy organ functionOrgans have space to function properly
- Efficient metabolismSupports healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels
- Lower risk of diseaseAssociated with a lower risk of cardiometabolic disease
- Under the skinStored between the skin and muscle
- Energy storageActs as a reserve for energy
- Protective functionHelps insulate, cushion and protect the body
- More inflammationReleases inflammatory substances
- Higher disease riskLinked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease and metabolic issues
- Affects organ functionCan build up around vital organs
- Healthy organ functionOrgans have space to function properly
- Efficient metabolismSupports healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels
- Lower risk of diseaseAssociated with a lower risk of cardiometabolic disease
- More inflammationReleases inflammatory substances
- Higher disease riskLinked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease and metabolic issues
- Affects organ functionCan build up around vital organs
- Under the skinStored between the skin and muscle
- Energy storageActs as a reserve for energy
- Protective functionHelps insulate, cushion and protect the body
Why it matters
We all need some visceral fat as it cushions the organs. But when too much accumulates it can impair how organs work, drive chronic inflammation and is closely linked to the development of metabolic syndrome. This in turn is associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
- Low HDL cholesterol< 1.0 mmol/L in men < 1.3 mmol/L in women
- High fasting blood sugar> 5.6 mmol/L
- Large waist circumference> 102 cm in men > 88 cm in women
- High triglycerides> 1.7 mmol/L
- High blood pressure> 130/85 mmHg
- Low HDL cholesterol< 1.0 mmol/L in men < 1.3 mmol/L in women
- High fasting blood sugar> 5.6 mmol/L
- Large waist circumference> 102 cm in men > 88 cm in women
- High triglycerides> 1.7 mmol/L
- High blood pressure> 130/85 mmHg
How it can become a loop
- More visceral fatReleases fatty acids and inflammatory signals.
- Insulin insensitivityThe liver and the muscles respond less to insulin.
- Unfavourable blood lipidsTogether with chronic low-grade inflammation.
- Higher riskOf fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Poorer insulin sensitivity increases visceral fat, which further impairs metabolic health.
What metabolic health actually means
Your metabolism is the system that turns food into energy and stores what is left for later. When it is working well, your body keeps blood sugar, insulin, blood fats and cholesterol within healthy ranges.
When metabolic health starts to slip, your body becomes less sensitive to insulin. Most of this develops gradually, long before you notice anything.
Why visceral fat in particular
Visceral fat is not simply a place to store surplus calories. It is biologically active tissue that changes how the liver, the muscles and other tissues respond to insulin.
Recent work suggests visceral fat may rise before metabolic problems become clinically visible: an early signal for declining metabolic health.
Three findings worth knowing
A large systematic review found that around 27% of normal-weight adults worldwide showed signs of poor metabolic health. Similar patterns have been seen in European populations.
Systematic review, PubMed (opens in a new tab)In a recent longitudinal study, visceral fat was one of the strongest early predictors of future metabolic syndrome.
Scientific Reports, 2025 (opens in a new tab)MRI research in normal-weight European adults found that roughly one in eight carried disproportionately high levels of fat stored inside the abdomen.
Obesity, Wiley (opens in a new tab)What makes visceral fat increase
How and where your body stores fat depends on age, genetics, nutrition, activity, sleep, stress and hormones together. Three situations come up often with the people we see.
Chronic stress and poor recovery
Long-term stress affects cortisol regulation, appetite, food choices, sleep and glucose metabolism. Together those changes can favour fat storage around the organs in some people.
Midlife and menopause
As oestrogen falls during the menopause transition, fat distribution tends to shift from the hips and thighs towards the abdomen. Visceral fat can rise without much change in overall weight.
Surplus energy over time
Consistently taking in more energy than you use promotes fat storage. Where that fat goes differs substantially between people.
Thin on the outside, fat on the inside.
You can look healthy and still carry visceral fat
People can be normal weight and a BMI but hold very different amounts of fat around their organs. Even people who look lean can carry disproportionately high levels of visceral fat.
Because visceral fat is hidden, a mirror, a bathroom scale and a BMI calculation cannot tell you reliably how much you have. A DEXA measures it directly.
At Vitary we interpret this number in the context of your age, your body composition, your health goals, your lifestyle preferences, so you know where you stand and what you can do about it.
Measure. Understand. Optimize your health.
Start with a few questions to see whether a DEXA scan is right for you. A registered physician reviews your answers before your visit. If a scan is appropriate, we measure your visceral fat, muscle mass and bone health, walk you through your results and show you where you can make the greatest impact.