The key difference between body fat and visceral fat is that body fat is the total amount of fat present within the body while visceral fat is a type of body fat that lies deep within abdominal walls and surrounds the organs.
According to the American Journal of Nutrition, for people aged 20 to 39, the total body fat percentage is 21% to 32%, while for men it is 8% to 19%. Body fat is a broad term to describe the fat present in the body. There are different types of body fat, such as white fat, brown fat, beige, essential fat, subcutaneous fat, and visceral fat.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Body Fat
3. What is Visceral Fat
4. Similarities – Body Fat and Visceral Fat
5. Body Fat vs. Visceral Fat in Tabular Form
6. FAQ – Body Fat and Visceral Fat
7. Summary – Body Fat vs. Visceral Fat
What is Body Fat?
There are different types of body fat, including white fat, brown fat, beige fat essential fat, subcutaneous fat, and visceral fat. White fat is made up of large, white cells that are stored under the skin or around the organs in the belly, arms, buttocks, and thigh. These fats help to store energy for later use. Brown fat is a type of fat mainly found in babies. Adults do retain a very small amount of brown fat. It is generally found in the neck and shoulders. Beige fat is produced from white fat through the release of enzymes triggered by stress, cold exposure, or physical exercise. Essential fat is very important for the sustenance of life and is found in the brain, bone marrow, nerves, and membranes that protect the organs. Subcutaneous fat is the fat stored under the skin and it is a combination of brown beige and white fat cells.
Figure 01: Body Fat
The benefits of body fat encompass temperature regulation, hormone level balance, support for reproductive health, storage of essential vitamins, promotion of neurological function, maintenance of a healthy metabolism, and balanced blood sugar levels. However, the risks associated with body fat include an increased likelihood of certain health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, complications during pregnancy, type 2 diabetes, hormone disturbances, some cancers, and the potential for an unattractive physical appearance.
What is Visceral Fat?
Visceral fat is also known as belly fat. It is the white fat that is stored in the abdomen and around the major organs such as the liver, kidney, pancreas, intestine, and heart. Visceral fat is different from subcutaneous fat, which is normally present just below the skin. Visceral fat makes up about 10% of your body fat.
Figure 02: Visceral Fat
Some amount of visceral fat is healthy and helps protect body organs. However, high levels of visceral fat can increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, artery disease, and some cancers. An unhealthy accumulation of visceral fat is mainly due to genetics and environment (diet and lack of exercise).
What are the Similarities Between Body Fat and Visceral Fat?
- Body fat and visceral fat are two related terms.
- Visceral fat is a type of body fat.
- Visceral fat makes up about 10% of body fat.
- Both have benefits as well as associated risks.
What is the Difference Between Body Fat and Visceral Fat?
Body fat is the total amount of fat present within the body, while visceral fat is a type of body fat that lies deep within abdominal walls and surrounds the organs. Thus, this is the key difference between body fat and visceral fat. Furthermore, body fat consists of white fat, brown fat, beige fat, essential fat, subcutaneous fat, and visceral fat. On the other hand, visceral fat consists of only fats in the abdomen region and around the organs such as the stomach, liver, and intestine.
The infographic below presents the differences between body fat and visceral fat in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
FAQ: Body Fat and Visceral Fat
How much visceral fat is normal?
The normal visceral fat range should be about 10% of your body fat.
How to reduce body fat?
Adhere to an eating plan, using whole grains instead of refined carbs, following a high protein diet, sleeping more, etc, can reduce body fat.
What burns the most fat?
HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts are one of the most efficient ways to burn calories fast.
Summary – Body Fat vs. Visceral Fat
Body fat and visceral fat are two related terms. This is because visceral fat is a type of body fat. However, body fat is a broad term to describe the total fat present in the body, whereas visceral is only the white fat that is stored in the abdomen and around the major organs such as the liver, kidney, pancreas, intestine, and heart. So, this is the key difference between body fat and visceral fat.
Reference:
1. “Body Fat – An Overview.” ScienceDirect Topics.
2. “Visceral Fat: Why It’s Dangerous and How to Lose It.” WebMD.
Image Courtesy:
1. “How to get rid of body fat” By Robin – Public Domain Pictures (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Variation in visceral fat in men with the same waist circumference” By ImagingFat – Images from a cohort of volunteers (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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