We have two types of fat in our bodies; subcutaneous fat, which is under our skin and visceral fat, which is gel-like and stored within the abdominal cavity, surrounding the liver, pancreas and intestines. A protruding belly does not necessarily mean people have excess visceral fat, which is why some people can be skinny and still have excessive visceral fat levels – so called “skinny fat”.
Visceral fat is classified as an “active fat”. This is because it can release inflammatory hormones and is associated with insulin resistance, type II diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer. Click on this link to a video created by Diabetes UK, which explains it in a very clear way:
The good news is that visceral fat levels are easier to reduce in comparison to subcutaneous fat. This can be achieved by eating lots of vegetables, consuming foods containing soluble fibre such as oats, eating protein-rich foods, reducing the amount of sugar consumed and exercising regularly.
Good nutrition is the way forward – eat well and feel better!