Is it bad to have subcutaneous fat? The nuanced answer

December 23, 2025 •

4 min read

Subcutaneous fat makes up about 90% of a person's total body fat, and while it's the most visible, it isn't the primary health threat. Knowing the distinction between this type of fat and the more dangerous visceral fat is crucial for understanding your overall health and fitness goals.

Quick Summary

A moderate amount of subcutaneous fat is normal and serves protective functions, but an excess can indicate higher overall body fat, including the more harmful visceral fat. Managing your total body fat through diet, exercise, and lifestyle choices is key to minimizing health risks associated with excess adipose tissue.

Key Points

Subcutaneous fat is not inherently bad: A healthy amount is normal and provides insulation, protection, and energy storage.
Excess subcutaneous fat signals overall fat levels: Too much subcutaneous fat often indicates an unhealthy amount of total body fat, including the more harmful visceral fat.
Visceral fat is the greater health risk: Located deep within the abdomen, visceral fat is more metabolically active and dangerous than subcutaneous fat.
Manage fat with a balanced lifestyle: A combination of a healthy diet, regular exercise (including cardio and strength training), proper sleep, and stress management is key.
Avoid spot reduction myths: You cannot target specific areas for fat loss; overall fat reduction is the goal.
Genetic factors influence fat storage: While lifestyle is crucial, genetics play a role in how your body distributes fat.

Understanding Subcutaneous Fat

Subcutaneous fat is the layer of adipose tissue located just beneath the skin. It's the soft, pinchable fat found most commonly on the hips, thighs, buttocks, and abdomen. Unlike visceral fat, which is located deep within the abdominal cavity surrounding your organs, subcutaneous fat serves several important, and often protective, roles for the body.

The Benefits of Subcutaneous Fat

Subcutaneous fat isn't inherently bad; in fact, a healthy amount is essential for proper body function. These benefits include:

Energy storage: It acts as the body's primary energy reserve, providing fuel for daily activities and exercise.
Protection and insulation: It cushions muscles and bones from impact and injury, and helps regulate body temperature.
Hormonal function: This fat tissue is metabolically active, producing hormones that play a role in metabolism and appetite regulation.
Protective buffer: Some studies suggest that in individuals with a high amount of visceral fat, subcutaneous fat can act as a protective buffer, lowering certain metabolic risk factors.

The Risks of Excess Subcutaneous Fat

While a moderate level is healthy, too much subcutaneous fat can be a signal of excess total body fat, which often includes higher levels of visceral fat. This can increase the risk for serious health issues such as:

Heart disease and stroke
Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
Fatty liver disease
Sleep apnea

Subcutaneous vs. Visceral Fat: A Comparison

To fully answer the question of whether it's bad to have subcutaneous fat, it's vital to differentiate it from visceral fat. Visceral fat is considered the more dangerous of the two because it is metabolically active and releases inflammatory substances and hormones that directly impact the organs it surrounds.


Feature	Subcutaneous Fat	Visceral Fat
Location	Just under the skin (pinchable)	Deep within the abdominal cavity, surrounding organs
Appearance	Soft and visible (e.g., love handles, thigh fat)	Firm and not visible externally (e.g., firm, protruding belly)
Health Risk	Lower risk; primarily problematic when in excess	Higher risk; strongly linked to metabolic disease
Metabolic Activity	Less active; stores energy and insulates	Highly active; releases inflammatory substances
Primary Function	Energy reserve, cushioning, insulation	Protection of internal organs (in small amounts)

Why Visceral Fat is More Dangerous

Visceral fat is particularly concerning due to its proximity to the portal vein, which carries blood from the intestinal area to the liver. The substances released by visceral fat can directly enter the liver, affecting fat and cholesterol production. Furthermore, these inflammatory markers can disrupt hormone function and contribute to insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes. The ratio of subcutaneous to visceral fat is an important health indicator, as a higher proportion of visceral fat signifies increased health risks.

How to Manage Subcutaneous Fat and Overall Body Fat

Reducing overall body fat is the most effective way to manage both subcutaneous and visceral fat. Lifestyle adjustments are key, as both genetics and environmental factors influence fat storage.

Dietary Strategies

Maintain a calorie deficit: Consuming fewer calories than you burn forces your body to use stored fat for energy.
Prioritize protein: A diet rich in lean protein can boost metabolism and help you feel full longer.
Increase fiber intake: Fiber-rich foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables can aid in satiety and overall weight management.
Limit processed foods and sugar: Reducing intake of refined carbohydrates, sugary drinks, and processed snacks helps lower overall calorie consumption and manages blood sugar levels.

Exercise Recommendations

Aerobic exercise: Regular cardio activities like walking, jogging, cycling, and swimming are effective for burning calories and reducing body fat.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): This type of workout, which alternates between short bursts of intense effort and recovery periods, is highly effective for burning fat and boosting metabolism.
Strength training: Building lean muscle mass through resistance training or weightlifting increases your metabolism, helping you burn more calories even at rest.

Other Lifestyle Factors

Manage stress: Chronic stress increases cortisol, a hormone that promotes fat storage, particularly in the abdominal area. Techniques like meditation, yoga, or deep breathing can help.
Prioritize sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night. Poor sleep can disrupt hormones that regulate appetite and fat storage.

Conclusion

To conclude, is it bad to have subcutaneous fat? The answer is more complex than a simple 'yes' or 'no.' A healthy level of subcutaneous fat is beneficial and normal, providing insulation, energy storage, and organ protection. However, excess subcutaneous fat is a reliable indicator of higher overall body fat, including the more dangerous visceral fat, which poses significant health risks. Focusing on a balanced approach—combining a healthy diet, regular exercise, stress management, and sufficient sleep—is the most effective strategy for managing your body fat composition and improving your long-term health. The goal is not to eliminate all subcutaneous fat, but to achieve a healthy balance by reducing overall excess fat and prioritizing holistic wellness. For further insights into healthy living, consult the World Health Organization's resources on diet and physical activity.

The Difference Between Subcutaneous and Visceral Fat

Subcutaneous fat is the visible fat beneath your skin, while visceral fat is hidden deep within your abdomen, surrounding internal organs.

The Health Risks of Excess Body Fat

Excess fat, especially visceral fat, is linked to a higher risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers.

Effective Strategies for Fat Loss

Combining a healthy, balanced diet with a regular exercise routine that includes both cardio and strength training is the most effective approach.

The Impact of Lifestyle on Body Fat

Sleep deprivation and chronic stress can negatively affect hormones and metabolism, contributing to increased fat storage.

The Role of Diet in Reducing Fat

Eating plenty of lean protein and fiber while limiting processed foods and sugary drinks can help manage fat storage and promote weight loss.

Frequently Asked Questions

Subcutaneous fat is the visible, pinchable fat located just under your skin, often on your arms, hips, and thighs. Visceral fat is hidden deep within your abdominal cavity, wrapping around your internal organs like your liver and intestines.

Visceral fat is considered much more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. Its high metabolic activity can release inflammatory compounds and hormones that increase your risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other metabolic issues.

While it's possible to be metabolically healthy with some subcutaneous fat, an excess amount is often a sign of higher overall body fat, including visceral fat, which does carry significant health risks. A healthy body fat percentage is key.

Reducing subcutaneous fat requires a combination of a healthy, balanced diet with a consistent exercise routine. Focus on creating a calorie deficit, incorporating both aerobic exercise and strength training, and managing lifestyle factors like stress and sleep.

No, spot reduction is a myth. You cannot target specific areas for fat loss through exercise. Reducing body fat happens systematically throughout your entire body when you consistently burn more calories than you consume.

A healthy diet helps control calorie intake and provides essential nutrients, while exercise burns calories and boosts metabolism. Combining both is the most effective strategy for reducing fat stores, as diet controls energy intake and exercise increases energy expenditure.

Yes. Chronic stress increases cortisol, a hormone that promotes fat storage. Poor sleep can also disrupt hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism. Managing stress and getting 7-9 hours of sleep per night are important for managing body fat.

A moderate amount of subcutaneous fat provides several benefits, including acting as an energy reserve, insulating the body to regulate temperature, cushioning bones and muscles, and playing a role in hormone regulation.

Yes. It's possible to have a low body weight but still carry an unhealthy amount of visceral fat, a condition sometimes referred to as 'TOFI' (thin on the outside, fat on the inside). This underscores why managing body composition is more important than just weighing yourself.

While you can pinch subcutaneous fat, visceral fat is not visible. A waist circumference measurement can be a good indicator: a waist size over 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men is a sign of excess abdominal fat. More precise measurements, like DEXA scans, are available medically.