I’m a Doctor and Here’s the #1 Sign You Have Visceral Fat — Eat This Not That

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By Ghuman

Introduction

Hello everyone! I’m a doctor and I’m here to talk to you about the number one sign that you have visceral fat. Visceral fat is a type of fat that is stored in the abdominal cavity and is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. It is important to be aware of the signs of visceral fat so that you can take steps to reduce your risk of developing these conditions. In this article, I will discuss the number one sign that you have visceral fat and provide some tips on what to eat and what to avoid in order to reduce your risk.

I’m a Doctor and Here’s the #1 Sign You Have Visceral Fat — Eat This Not That

Visceral fat is a type of fat that accumulates around your organs, and it can be dangerous to your health. It’s important to know the signs of visceral fat so you can take steps to reduce it. As a doctor, I’m here to tell you the #1 sign that you have visceral fat and what you can do to reduce it.

What is Visceral Fat?

Visceral fat is a type of fat that accumulates around your organs, such as your liver, pancreas, and intestines. It’s different from subcutaneous fat, which is the fat that accumulates just under your skin. Visceral fat is more dangerous because it can lead to a number of health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.

The #1 Sign You Have Visceral Fat

The #1 sign that you have visceral fat is an increase in your waist circumference. If your waist circumference is greater than 35 inches for women or 40 inches for men, then you are likely to have visceral fat. This is because visceral fat accumulates around your organs, which can cause your waist circumference to increase.

What You Can Do to Reduce Visceral Fat

The best way to reduce visceral fat is to make lifestyle changes. This includes eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep. Eating a diet that is low in processed foods and high in fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins can help reduce visceral fat. Additionally, exercising for at least 30 minutes a day can help burn off excess fat. Finally, getting enough sleep is important for maintaining a healthy weight and reducing visceral fat.

Conclusion

Visceral fat is a dangerous type of fat that accumulates around your organs. The #1 sign that you have visceral fat is an increase in your waist circumference. To reduce visceral fat, it’s important to make lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep.

An expanding waistline is something that can happen to anyone, especially as we age. While having a little abdominal fat is normal and nothing to worry about, visceral fat on the other hand is worrisome because it’s a hidden health issue most people don’t know about. Visceral fat is buried deep within your belly and wraps around your vital organs. It can cause serious health problems like Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and more. Eat This, Not That! Health spoke with 

Dr. Stacie J. Stephenson, aka “The VibrantDoc”, a recognized leader in functional medicine and author of the new self-care book Vibrant: A Groundbreaking Program to Get Energized, Reverse Aging, and Glow who revealed signs you have visceral fat. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.

Visceral fat and subcutaneous fat that accumulate around waistline of woman.
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Dr. Stephenson explains, “While everyone has some visceral fat to cushion organs, too much builds up and impairs organ function, increases inflammation, and raises the risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and possibly some cancers, like breast, colon, and pancreatic cancer. Some research shows that visceral fat is a greater predictor of cancer risk than just being overweight.”

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woman's abdomen and belly button, she is touching her slim stomach with two hands
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Even if you’re not overweight, Dr. Stephenson says you can have visceral fat. “That soft squishy stuff on your abdomen is subcutaneous fat, just below the skin. This is less harmful than visceral fat, which is packed behind the abdominal wall, around internal organs. Because the visceral fat is behind the muscles, it pushes them out but you can’t feel it so all you feel is the abdominal wall. If you have a protruding pot belly but it’s firm, not squishy, that’s a good sign that you have visceral fat.”

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waistline
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Dr. Stephenson says, “For women, waist circumference has been strongly correlated with levels of visceral fat seen on MRI scans—a waist circumference of 35 inches or greater is a good indicator of visceral fat. In men, the sagittal measurement was a more accurate measurement of visceral fat than waist circumference. To get a sagittal measurement, lie on a firm surface with your knees bent and back flat on the ground, then measure the distance from the ground straight up to the level of the top of the abdomen, at the place where it is the highest. Waist circumference was a greater indicator of subcutaneous fat for men. A sagittal abdominal measurement of greater than 9 to 12 inches (depending on what research you are looking at) is an indication of visceral fat.”

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“Doctors have typically measured visceral fat with expensive scanning instruments, but a 2020 study showed that a simple waist-to-hip ratio is nearly as accurate in determining visceral fat.,” Dr. Stephenson says. “Research has determined that waist-to-hip ratio is strongly correlated with visceral fat—and all you need is a tape measure. According to the World Health Organization, a ratio of .85 or higher for women and .90 or higher for men indicates excessive visceral fat, and a ratio higher than 1 means a significantly elevated chronic disease risk. To determine your waist-to-hip ratio, measure your waist at its smallest point, then measure your hips at their widest point. Divide your waist size by your hip size. That number is your ratio.”

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Dr. Stephenson states, “There are many theories about why some people develop more visceral fat and others develop more subcutaneous fat. In general, weight gain overall is likely to increase visceral fat, but genetics can play a part in where your body tends to store fat. More significant factors, though, are lifestyle-related and under your control. One study that looked at lifestyle factors associated with increased abdominal fat over 5 years showed that the two most meaningful factors were exercise level and soluble fiber intake. The study showed that people who were moderately active had a 7.4% decrease in visceral fat accumulation than those who were less active, and that for each 10 gram increase in soluble fiber, the rate of visceral fat accumulation decreased by 3.7%.” 

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According to Dr. Stephenson, “Another significant player is chronically high levels of the stress hormone cortisol. A study out of Yale University showed that women who were not overweight but were highly stressed tended to have excess abdominal fat coinciding with high cortisol levels. Another study of women with obesity showed that women with more abdominal fat had higher stress levels, higher cortisol secretion, and evaluated stressful situations as more threatening, and women who were leaner but had more abdominal fat also secreted more cortisol than leaner women with less abdominal fat.” And to get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don’t miss these 35 Places You’re Most Likely to Catch COVID.

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