Two Common Types of Body Fat

Visceral and Subcutaneous AKA Pot Belly and Big Butt

Jul 18, 2009

There are four types of fats found in the human body. Of them, the most common are stored between the abdominal organs and in the lower extremities.

When most people look in the mirror, they are not happy with what they see. Many may fantasize about what they used to look like.

While some of the fantasies of mile-long abs and slim, trim curves were at one time a reality, they may be gone forever. The most common assailants upon the body in terms of fat are known as visceral and subcutaneous. The former is more often present in men and the latter in women.

Knowing the names of the types of fat that gather in the body is important. It is more important to know the dangers they can pose to one's health.

Subcutaneous Fat Gathers in the Legs and Butt

Women tend to gather larger amounts of fat below their waistline. As Benjamin Franklin put it in his "Old Mistresses Apologue," although the face and neck begin to sag, and then the breasts, the "lower parts are plump as ever."

Franklin was talking about subcutaneous fat, and even considered most women from the waist down to be the same, or as he put it, "in the dark all cats are gray."

An important note about this fat is that it is not very dangerous to one's health in moderation. Without it, the body would need to burn more of its own energy to maintain its operating temperature. Too much, though, can be dangerous as subcutaneous fat is very visible and can lead to changing appearances that can lead to a person's body looking unattractive or obese.

While subcutaneous fat can be undesirable to some, and unwanted by many with it, it is not as dangerous as visceral fat.

Visceral Fat Gathers in the Abdomen Around Vital Organs

Visceral fat is also referred to as intra-abdominal fat. It causes the belly to bulge, offering the feel of a hard stomach as it gathers beneath a muscular wall, crammed within the organs.

People with high amounts of this fat can be within a healthy weight range but still be at greater risk for high stress, stroke, cardiac disease, and diabetes. Naturally, those who are sedentary gather more intra-abdominal fat than those who purge fat through an active lifestyle.

Smokers and drinkers are bound to have more visceral fat as these activities dehydrate the body. Since many people do not engage in smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol while drinking a tall glass of water, the liver is unable to metabolize as much fat since it will be needed to assist the kidneys.

The combination of these two types of fats in a person's body is a deadly one. Not only will obesity wreck a person's knees, back, and ankles, but the added fat that will continue to gather within the organs due to a desk bound existence full of injuries as a result of weight will significantly shorten a person's life.

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