visceralfat

  • A person can have up to 100 billion fat cells. The average person has 40 billion.
  • Visceral Fat is different from subcutaneous fat. Subcutaneous Fat is the fat that is located directly under the skin. Visceral Fat, however, is located in the abdomen underneath the muscle and around vital organs.
  • Overweight or obese people are at a substantially higher risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, arthritis, problems breathing, sleep apnea, and certain cancers.
  • Fat is not an inactive storage unit as was once believed. It produces many chemicals and hormones, both good and bad, which are circulated through the bloodstream. One such good hormone is leptin, a substance that signals a feeling of fullness.
  • Visceral Fat is more metabolically active that subcutaneous fat. It produces more harmful hormones and enzymes such as interleukin(IL)-6, and suppresses positive ones such as leptin.
  • It secretes inflammatory adipokines such as interleukin (IL)-6, macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and resistin. These chemicals can induce insulin resistance.

 

xray fat

Before and after visceral fat (weight loss) pictures

 

  • Having excess visceral fat greatly increases one's chance of having diabetes and heart disease.
  • Visceral Fat causes impairments in blood sugar metabolism and causes insulin resistance, which can lead to Type 2 Diabetes.
  • Visceral Fat is broken down by the liver to create low-density lipoproteins (LDL), which circulates throughout the blood stream. LDL is commonly referred to as "bad" cholesterol. This cholesterol builds up as plaque in the arteries, constricting the flow of blood. This buildup is known as atherosclerosis.
  • There is a direct correlation between a person's waist circumference and their chance of having diabetes and heart disease.
  • A Waist Circumference of 32 inches for a woman and 37 inches for a man indicates a significantly raised risk of developing heart disease or diabetes. A Waist circumference of 35 inches for a woman and 40 inches for a man is considered high risk for developing both conditions.
  • Visceral Fat cannot be removed through liposuction. That process removes only the subcutaneous fat of the stomach.
  • Visceral Fat is consumed more quickly by the body than subcutaneous fat when undergoing regular exercise due to the fact that it is more metabolically active.

 

Epidemiological Picture

  • In 1995, the total costs attributable to obesity in the nation, both in losses of productivity and in medical expense, are estimated to be $99 billion.
  • Studies have found that globally 40 percent of men and 30 percent of women are overweight. In addition, 24 percent of men and 27 percent of women are obese. (American Heart Association, 2007)
  • Estimates now show more than half of the nation's adult population is overweight or obese.
  • Everyone has both subcutaneous and visceral fat.

 *Not all results are the same and some are not typical