by Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, CPT, CSN

If you look down and see belly fat around your midsection, you’re definitely not alone. After all, around 75% of American adults are considered overweight — you may simply be part of that statistic.

Is having body fat around your midsection bad? Yes. Is having body fat bad? No.

Now, I may have just confused you, as many consider any type of fat to be bad. But the truth is, your body needs some body fat.

Fat naturally serves important roles in your body, such as protecting your organs and providing essential insulation.

However, carrying excess belly fat can potentially impact your health and increase your risk of developing certain chronic conditions. Maintaining your overall body fat, including abdominal fat, within a healthy range is important for long-term wellness.

In this article, we will dive deeper and learn about two types of belly fat and how you can reduce them.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, making changes to your nutrition plan, or adding any new supplements into your current regimen.

2 Different Types of Belly Fat

Your “belly” actually contains only a small portion of your body’s total fat. There are two main types of belly fat that you need to be aware of, each with different health implications.

1.   Subcutaneous belly fat

Subcutaneous belly fat is the soft fat that sits just under your skin. To put it bluntly, it’s the kind that “jiggles” when you move.

Women typically have more subcutaneous fat than men. While this type of fat isn’t strongly linked to disease risk compared to deeper fat, having too much total body fat (including subcutaneous belly fat) may still increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.

2.   Visceral belly fat

Visceral fat surrounds internal organs like the kidneys, liver, and pancreas. Often called “harmful” belly fat, it’s metabolically active and contains more cells, blood vessels, and nerves than subcutaneous fat.

Visceral fat strongly correlates with insulin resistance (which can lead to type 2 diabetes) and contributes to body-wide inflammation, raising disease risks.

Men tend to store more visceral fat, creating an “apple-shaped” figure, while women typically accumulate fat in the lower body, creating a “pear shape.”

Interestingly, body fat distribution changes with age; postmenopausal women develop more visceral fat than premenopausal women, increasing their metabolic disease risk.

People of European origin also tend to have higher levels of visceral fat compared to other ethnicities.

Why Does Excess Belly Fat Affect Your Health?

While some belly fat is normal and necessary, having too much can seriously impact your health.

Although only 10-20% of your total body fat, visceral fat poses the greatest risk. This “active” fat produces hormones and inflammatory substances that harm your health by increasing insulin resistance, inflammation, blood fat levels, and blood pressure.

Visceral fat and your liver

Visceral fat sits dangerously close to the portal vein, which carries blood from the digestive system to the liver.

This positioning links visceral fat to liver inflammation and increased liver fat, raising the risk of insulin resistance and fatty liver disease.

Why total belly fat matters

While visceral fat is more dangerous, your overall belly fat amount still impacts health.

Excess body fat contributes to insulin resistance, blood vessel problems, fatty liver, artery plaque buildup, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome.

Research shows people with more visceral fat face higher risks of type 2 diabetes, metabolic disease, fatty liver, and heart problems.

One large study of over 36,000 people found that those with more visceral fat than subcutaneous fat had higher death rates from all causes.

Your waist measurement serves as a simple way to assess total abdominal fat. Studies consistently show that maintaining a healthy waist size through better diet and exercise significantly improves many health markers, particularly heart health and diabetes risk.

Ways to Lose Belly Fat

Here are proven strategies to help lose belly fat and reduce health risks:

• Skip sugary drinks: Research links sodas and sweet beverages to increased visceral fat and larger waist size. Try water or sparkling water instead.
• Exercise regularly: Boost physical activity with high- and low-intensity cardio and resistance training to target belly fat.
• Increase protein: Diets rich in protein might aid in reducing belly fat, and a substantial review indicates they correlate with reduced waist sizes.
• Limit processed foods: Studies show frequent consumption of snack foods, sweets, fast food, and refined grains correlates with larger waist measurements.
• Focus on whole foods: Eating minimally processed foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, and healthy protein sources supports overall health and healthier belly fat levels.
• Boost fiber intake: People who eat high-fiber diets typically have less belly fat. Adding more fiber can help reduce excess abdominal fat.
• Watch alcohol consumption: Drinking too much can contribute to belly fat accumulation while harming overall health.
• Prioritize sleep: Poor sleep quality is associated with visceral fat buildup, and shorter sleep duration is linked to a larger waist size.

Recent research suggests some people may benefit from reducing carbohydrate intake.

One 15-week study found that a very low-carb, high-fat diet was more effective at reducing belly fat than a low-fat diet, though both led to similar overall weight loss.

Since nutrition needs vary between individuals, working with a registered dietitian can help you develop an appropriate eating plan that promotes belly fat loss while supporting your overall health and personal preferences.