Subcutaneous fat and visceral fat are the two main types of body fat, which also make up belly fat. Eating a balanced diet, exercising, and getting enough sleep could help you manage excess belly fat.

There are two main types of belly fat:

  • Subcutaneous: This type of fat is found just under your skin. It’s the type you can pinch.
  • Visceral: This type is found deep inside your abdomen, surrounding your internal organs.

Having some fat in your belly is normal. After all, fat helps protect, insulate, and energize your body.

However, having too much belly fat may increase your risk of developing certain chronic diseases. As such, managing your total body fat, including your belly fat, can be helpful.

Keep reading to learn more about the different types of belly fat and tips to help you lose excess belly fat.

You’ll notice the language used to share stats and other data points is pretty binary, fluctuating between the use of “male” and “female” or “men” and “women.” While we typically avoid language like this, specificity is key when reporting on research participants and clinical findings.

Subcutaneous fat, or subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), is the fat that’s found under your skin. It’s soft, and it’s the fat you see “jiggling” on your belly.

Subcutaneous fat makes up to 90% of your total body fat. It’s distributed mainly in the regions of your abdomen, upper back, glutes, and thighs.

Unlike visceral fat, which is the fat found deeper in the abdominal cavity, subcutaneous fat isn’t as strongly linked to increased disease risk. This may be because it’s not connected with your internal organs.

However, a 2017 review found that having more upper body subcutaneous fat is associated with:

In general, women have greater amounts of subcutaneous fat than men.

Visceral belly fat, or visceral adipose tissue (VAT), is the fat that surrounds internal organs like your kidneys, liver, and pancreas. It’s much deeper in your abdomen than subcutaneous fat, so you can’t feel it.

Visceral fat is much more metabolically activethan subcutaneous fat. It contains more cells, blood vessels, and nerves, and it produces hormones and inflammatory proteins that may have negative health impacts.

For instance, visceral fat is linked to increased resistance to the hormone insulin, which regulates your blood sugar levels. Over time, insulin resistance may lead to elevated blood sugar levels and the development of type 2 diabetes.

Visceral fat also contributes to increases in systemic inflammation, blood fats, and blood pressure, which may raise your disease risk.

Visceral belly fat makes up 6% to 20% of your total body fat, but it’s commonly referred to as “harmful” belly fat.

Men are more likely to accumulate visceral fat than women, which is why they might develop an “apple-shaped” figure as belly fat grows. On the other hand, women are more likely to develop excess fat in the lower body, leading to a “pear” shape.

Body fat distribution also changes with age. For example, premenopausal women have more subcutaneous belly fat, while postmenopausal women tend to have higher levels of visceral fat, which contributes to an increased risk of metabolic disease.

Also, visceral fat tends to be higher in people of European origin compared with people of other ethnicities.

Some belly fat is necessary for good health, but having too much belly fat may increase your risk of some diseases.

A 2017 study in over 36,000 people also found that those with a higher amount of visceral fat than subcutaneous fat were more likely to die from any cause than those who had lower amounts of visceral fat.

Having a larger waist circumference is also linked to increased disease risk. Waist circumference is used to assess total abdominal fat, so both subcutaneous and visceral fat are contributing factors to this measurement.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends setting a weekly weight loss goal of 1 to 2 pounds to help lose excess belly fat safely, sustainably, and effectively.

Maintaining a calorie deficit is a key component of weight loss. This means you consume fewer calories than you burn each day. Consider aiming for a daily calorie deficit of around 500 calories.

It’s important to aim for a realistic calorie goal that you can maintain rather than eating a very low calorie diet. Although this may cause quicker weight loss in the early stages, the weight loss may be muscle loss rather than fat loss.

Very low calorie diets may be dangerous and increase the risk of nutrient deficiencies, fatigue, and metabolic changes. They’re also not sustainable, which means you’re more likely to stop following the diet plan and regain the weight you lost.

Some tips to help you maintain a calorie deficit and lose belly fat safely include:

Keep in mind that although diet and lifestyle play a significant role in belly fat accumulation, factors like your age, sex, and genetics also have an effect.

If you think you may have to lose belly fat but aren’t sure where to begin, speak with a doctor, certified personal trainer, or registered dietitian. They could help you develop the necessary tools to manage your weight.

Everyone has both subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. However, the fat you can feel when you pinch your belly and that you might see “moving” is subcutaneous fat.

A “cortisol belly” refers to belly fat that may be associated with long-term high levels of cortisol, which is known as the stress hormone. Belly fat that may be caused by high cortisol levels doesn’t look different than normal belly fat.

Subcutaneous fat is the soft belly fat that you can poke. It’s found under your skin. Meanwhile, visceral belly fat surrounds the organs in your abdominal cavity and is strongly linked to increased disease risk.

Having excess amounts of belly fat, especially the visceral type, is associated with an increased risk of developing conditions like metabolic disease and fatty liver.

Some ways to help you reduce excess belly fat include getting regular exercise, eating a balanced diet, sleeping well, and managing your stress levels.

Remember that creating healthy, sustainable habits is much more important for your overall well-being than aiming for quick weight loss.

If you need more personalized dietary advice on how to lose excess belly fat and reduce your disease risk, contact a registered dietitian.