Types of Belly Fat: Which of These Do You Have?

Having some belly fat is normal. Fat, after all, offers protection and insulation to the human body. But having an excess may be harmful to your health. So what are the different types?

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Having excess belly fat may be harmful to your health and put you at risk of developing chronic diseases. This explains why you should keep your belly fat and total body fat at a healthy level.

This article will discuss the types of belly fat and tips on how you can lose them.

Understanding belly fat

Here’s something which many people don’t know — your belly contains only a tiny amount of fat compared with other parts of your body (1).

There are two primary types of belly fat — one lies under your skin while the other lies deeper inside the abdomen and surrounds your internal organs.

1. Subcutaneous belly fat

Subcutaneous belly fat is also known as subcutaneous adipose tissue. This is the fat that is found under your skin (2).

Subcutaneous fat is the soft fat that jiggles on your belly. There’s plenty of subcutaneous fat in women than in men (3).

There is no strong link between subcutaneous fat and increased disease risk (3).