Often, conversations about body fat focus on its appearance, mentioning terms such as "tires," "bananas" or "life savers. While it is valid to pay attention to that localized excess fat, it is crucial that you understand that there is another type of fat, perhaps less visible, but more relevant to health: the fat that surrounds your internal organs.
Today, I want to teach you about two main types of fat around the abdomen: visceral fat and subcutaneous fat.
What is the difference between them?
Visceral Fat vs. Subcutaneous Fat
Visceral Fat: This is the fat that accumulates under the abdominal muscles, surrounding organs such as the liver, intestines, pancreas and heart. Its presence can compromise the optimal functioning of these organs due to the pressure it exerts. It is important to note that it affects not only overweight or obese people, but also thin people.
The accumulation of visceral fat is linked to unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as a diet rich in sugars, carbohydrates, industrialized oils, trans fats and processed foods, along with a lack of vigorous physical activity.
This type of fat can increase inflammation in the body, trigger insulin resistance, alter blood glucose levels, high triglycerides and contribute to the development of chronic diseases and metabolic problems.
People with visceral fat tend to be characterized by a swollen and hard abdomen.
A diet based on proteins and animal fats together with a suitable light environment is the most successful solution to start decreasing the concentration of visceral fat in your body.
Subcutaneous fat: This is the fat that lies above the abdominal muscles, just below the skin, and is easier to detect when pinched. It acts as a thermal insulator and, although to a lesser extent than visceral fat, excess can lead to problems such as weight gain, sleep apnea and health risks related to being overweight or obese.
People with subcutaneous fat tend to be characterized by a flabby abdomen.
Excess subcutaneous fat is often related to elevated levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. In stressful situations, your body tends to store fat as a coping mechanism. Now, when you live under constant stress, whether emotional, physical, chemical or environmental, your body will release more cortisol, triggering a number of changes in your body, including an increased appetite and a tendency to reach for fried and/or sugary foods.
A general review of the person's lifestyle is the gateway to evaluate habits and make the necessary adjustments towards stress reduction and stress management, in order to act from the root causes and build a healthy lifestyle and not a transient diet.
Now I don't want you to misunderstand that only people with lean and lean muscles are the healthy ones. No! Your body needs fat in order to live and function properly, it's a matter of maintaining balance and not going to extremes.
Focusing on reducing inflammation, improving metabolism and establishing cellular balance will be the starting point for improving your health and, as a consequence, weight loss.
If you identified with this article, let me know in the comments!
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Disclaimer:
"The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only, and is made available to you as a self-help tool for your own use; it is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with a health care professional".