
The placement of your fat may indicate the type of fat it is. It can lead to central obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type II diabetes, and more. A small amount of visceral fat is needed to pad out the spaces between organs. It’s a deep, gel-like fat that wraps around major organs. Visceral Fat: Unlike subcutaneous fat, visceral fat is not stored under the skin, but inside the abdominal cavity.This is also the type of fat that builds up when you’re in a prolonged energy surplus, i.e., eating too much and moving too little. It’s responsible for keeping you warm, cushioning your tissues and organs from trauma and impact, and acting as a reserve energy source. This is the type of white fat that is measured when you get your body fat tested with calipers. Subcutaneous Fat: Subcutaneous fat is white fat that is stored directly under the skin.To maintain good health, men need 2–5 percent of their total body weight to come from essential fat, while women need 10–13 percent, according to the American Council on Exercise.

It protects our vital organs, insulates, allows vitamins to be absorbed, regulates hormones and so much more.

If you sliced open a human body, you would see three different colored substances that are all types of body fat. Knowing which type of fat you have can give you an idea of how best to tackle it. These two cases may indicate different types of fat accumulation. Simple lifestyle and dietary adjustments can help you burn unwanted belly fat and get you back on track.ĭo you struggle with excess fat around your stomach? Your fat distribution may be fairly even around your body, or you may just be experiencing belly fat, with leaner limbs. But excess fat, particularly around the waist or belly region, may be a cause for certain health conditions and can keep you from feeling and performing your best. Fat is an essential part of the human body, involved in many metabolic and hormonal activities that allow you to function.
