What's worse, visceral fat or subcutaneous fat?

October 8, 2025 •

3 min read

While roughly 90% of your body fat is the soft, pinchable subcutaneous fat, it's the hidden, deep-seated visceral fat that poses a far greater health risk. This raises the crucial health question: What's worse, visceral fat or subcutaneous fat?

Quick Summary

Excess visceral fat is more dangerous than subcutaneous fat due to its metabolic activity and proximity to internal organs, elevating the risk of serious diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Key Points

Location Matters Most: Visceral fat, which surrounds your organs, is metabolically more harmful and poses greater health risks than subcutaneous fat, which sits just under the skin.
Visceral Fat's Risks: Excess visceral fat is linked to metabolic syndrome, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and cognitive decline due to its inflammatory nature.
Excess Subcutaneous Fat Still Unhealthy: While less dangerous, an abundance of subcutaneous fat is an indicator of overall poor health and often co-occurs with high levels of visceral fat.
Dietary Strategies: Prioritizing high-fiber foods, lean protein, and anti-inflammatory options while limiting processed sugars can effectively reduce visceral fat.
Lifestyle Changes: Combining regular exercise, adequate sleep, and stress management is a powerful and proven approach for reducing both visceral and subcutaneous fat.
Visceral Fat Burns First: When you embark on a weight loss program, visceral fat is often the first to be reduced, offering a quick and significant boost to your metabolic health.

What is Visceral Fat?

Visceral fat is located deep within the abdominal cavity, surrounding organs such as the liver and pancreas. A large amount of visceral fat can make the abdomen feel firm and it acts like an endocrine organ, releasing inflammatory proteins. This fat can enter the bloodstream and travel to the liver, contributing to high cholesterol and insulin resistance.

Health Risks Associated with Visceral Fat

Excess visceral fat is linked to numerous health issues, including metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, cognitive decline, and fatty liver disease.

What is Subcutaneous Fat?

Subcutaneous fat is found just beneath the skin and is the fat you can pinch on areas like the arms, hips, and abdomen. It serves important roles like insulation, protecting bones and muscles, and storing energy.

Health Risks of Excess Subcutaneous Fat

While not as harmful as visceral fat, too much subcutaneous fat can still lead to health problems. High levels of any body fat can raise the risk for heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Significant subcutaneous belly fat often indicates higher levels of visceral fat.

Visceral vs. Subcutaneous Fat: The Key Differences

Here's a comparison of the main differences between visceral and subcutaneous fat:


Feature	Visceral Fat	Subcutaneous Fat
Location	Deep within the abdominal cavity, surrounding internal organs.	Just beneath the skin, visible and pinchable on the belly, hips, and limbs.
Health Risk	High. Releases inflammatory compounds directly into the liver and bloodstream, increasing risk for metabolic and cardiovascular disease.	Lower. Less metabolically active and dangerous on its own, though excess is still unhealthy and often indicates higher visceral fat.
Metabolic Activity	High. Functions like an endocrine organ, releasing hormones and inflammatory molecules.	Lower. Acts primarily as an energy reserve and insulator.
Appearance	Results in a firm, distended belly.	Results in soft, visible fat that you can pinch.
Measurement	Most accurately measured by advanced imaging (MRI, DEXA) or estimated with waist circumference measurements.	Can be measured with skinfold calipers or visually identified.

Nutritional Strategies for Fat Management

A healthy diet and exercise can reduce overall body fat, with visceral fat often reducing first. Strategies include increasing soluble fiber, eating lean protein, choosing anti-inflammatory foods, reducing refined sugars and trans fats, and staying hydrated.

The Importance of Lifestyle for Visceral Fat Reduction

Lifestyle changes are crucial alongside diet:

Regular Exercise: Both aerobic and strength training are effective for reducing both types of fat.
Managing Stress: Reducing stress can help as the stress hormone cortisol can increase visceral fat storage.
Getting Enough Sleep: Aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep.
Limiting Alcohol: Excessive alcohol is linked to increased belly fat.

Conclusion: The Verdict on Visceral vs. Subcutaneous Fat

Visceral fat poses a greater health risk than subcutaneous fat due to its metabolic activity and impact on organs, increasing the likelihood of chronic diseases. Fortunately, visceral fat responds well to lifestyle changes, including diet, exercise, and stress management. Losing overall body fat will reduce both types, but reducing visceral fat offers significant and rapid improvements in metabolic health.

Learn more about the metabolic impacts of visceral fat from this authoritative resource: {Link: Harvard Health Publications https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/taking-aim-at-belly-fat}.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, a condition called 'thin outside, fat inside' (TOFI) can occur, where someone with a normal weight or BMI may still have high levels of visceral fat around their organs.

While medical imaging is most accurate, measuring your waist circumference at home can provide an estimate. A waist size over 40 inches for men and 35 inches for non-pregnant women is a strong indicator of excess visceral fat.

No, liposuction only removes subcutaneous fat located beneath the skin. It cannot remove the deeper visceral fat around your organs.

Both aerobic and strength training are effective. High-intensity interval training (HIIT), brisk walking, and resistance training are particularly beneficial for reducing visceral fat.

Visceral fat is generally more responsive to diet and exercise than subcutaneous fat. It is often the first type of fat to decrease during weight loss efforts.

To reduce visceral fat, it is recommended to limit foods high in refined sugars, trans fats, and processed ingredients, such as sugary drinks, processed baked goods, and fast food.

Yes, the stress hormone cortisol can lead to increased visceral fat storage. Managing stress through techniques like relaxation, sufficient sleep, and regular exercise is important.