Know Your Fats: Visceral Fat, Subcutaneous Fat, and Intramuscular Triglycerides

 

Getting to know the different fats in your body will help you learn to manage them, and even to lose body fat.

There is a lot of talk in the news about the different kinds of fat in our bodies and as new research points to differing levels of health risk for the fat varieties, it's important to understand what these terms mean. Dr. Travis Stork of The Doctors shared this information on the show today.

body fat


  • Subcutaneous Fat
    This fat is skin deep as they say. It's found just under the skin and is the most visible. Luckily, it's also the easiest to get rid of. You'll typically find subcutaneous fat on the arms, behind, belly and the neck. It does serve a purpose as a cushion for the body and contains fatty tissue and nerves. Subcutaneous fat also contains blood vessels for supplying the skin with oxygen.

  • Intramuscular Triglycerides
    This fat is somewhat less known than the others and is often mistaken for muscle mass. When the body is drawing on fat stores for energy, as much as 50% of the fat used comes from intramuscular triglycerides, and women tend to burn a greater amount of these during exercise.

  • Visceral Fat
    This dangerous fat sits deep in the abdominal cavity and lines the internal organs, wreaking havoc on your health. Subcutaneous fat is formed in the body when there is a consistent lack of exercise and the diet is high in saturated fats. This fat has been associated with an increased risk of diabetes.


Knowing what kind of fat you have can help you to know how to get rid of it. Check with your doctor, especially if you're concerned with visceral fat so that you can get back on track towards health.