Basics Print How to Reduce Visceral Fat on Your Body Medically reviewed by facebook linkedin Medically reviewed by Richard N. Fogoros, MD on October 26, 2015 Richard N. Fogoros, MD, is a retired professor of medicine and board-certified internal medicine physician and cardiologist. He is Verywell's Senior Medical Advisor. Learn about our Medical Review Board Richard N. Fogoros, MD Written by facebook twitter linkedin Written by Malia Frey Malia Frey is a weight loss expert, certified health coach, weight management specialist, personal trainer, and fitness nutrition specialist. Learn about our editorial policy Malia Frey Updated on October 16, 2019 David Harrigan / Getty Images More in Weight Loss Basics Procedures Nutrition for Weight Loss Exercise for Weight Loss Diet Plans Medications Supplements Visceral fat is adipose tissue (fat tissue) that surrounds your vital organs. Where is visceral fat located? You'll find it deep inside your body and it is sometimes referred to as "belly fat." If you have too much visceral fat, you may be at higher risk for certain health conditions and diseases. What Is Visceral Fat? Since visceral fat is often called belly fat, you might wonder why we use the term "visceral" to describe it. The reason is that there are two different kinds of fat in your belly and visceral fat is only one of them. In a health setting, the word visceral means in or near your vital organs (your viscera). These are the organs deep in your gut, like your stomach and your intestines. Visceral muscles are found in the walls of your visceral organs. Visceral fat surrounds those organs. Since your vital organs are located in your midsection, visceral fat accumulates in the area around your belly. But not all fat on your abdomen is visceral fat. There is another kind of fat called subcutaneous fat. Subcutaneous fat is located underneath the skin. This kind of fat is located all over your body and is important for your body to function properly. Reasons to Reduce Visceral Fat If you have too much visceral fat, you have a condition called visceral obesity. Doctors sometimes call this condition visceral adiposity. While too much of any kind of fat can be dangerous, there are certain health risks associated with having too much visceral fat. Risks Associated With Visceral Obesity Insulin resistanceGlucose intoleranceHigh cholesterolHigh blood pressureHeart disease You can talk to your healthcare provider about your risk for these and other diseases and how your visceral fat may play a role in that risk level. Your doctor may want to measure your visceral fat and make recommendations based on the results. How to Measure Visceral Fat A clinician might estimate your visceral fat by taking a waist measurement. This measurement can provide insight into the amount of fat that you are carrying around your vital organs. You can also take this measurement at home. To get the best measurement, use a flexible tape measure. Wrap it around the widest part of your stomach, across your belly button. The tape measure should rest gently on your skin; not so loose that it falls away and not so tight that it digs into your skin. Once the tape measure is positioned correctly, breathe in and then take the measurement on the exhale. Men and women have different numbers that may indicate visceral adiposity. Men: A waist measurement greater than 40 inchesWomen: A waist measurement greater than 35 inches If your waistline indicates a higher risk for visceral adiposity, talk to your doctor. Your health care team can do more extensive diagnostic tests to accurately measure your visceral fat so that you are able to better predict your risk for disease. Losing Visceral Fat It's not uncommon to have belly fat that you want to lose. However, remember you can't just lose fat in one place. Whether the fat around your midsection is visceral fat or subcutaneous fat, your plan will be the same. To lose fat, you need to increase your daily activity and reduce your food intake. You might see pills and supplements advertised online that claim to reduce belly fat, but most of those products don't work—and some can even be dangerous. If you're concerned about belly fat, talk to your doctor. He or she can explain how visceral fat affects your specific risk for disease. Knowing these facts about your health might help you to make the changes necessary to reduce your visceral fat, reach a safer weight and keep a trim midsection. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Looking to lose weight? Our nutrition guide can help you get on the right track. Sign up for our newsletter and get it free! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial policy to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Assessing Your Weight. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. American Council on Exercise. ACE Health Coach Manual 2013. American Council on Exercise. ACE Personal Trainer Manual 2012. Continue Reading