Reducing visceral fat: the approach that actually helps

Maybe your smart scale or a tape measure gave you a signal: your visceral fat is on the high side. Unlike the fat you can see and feel, visceral fat sits deep in your belly, around your organs. That is exactly where it matters for your health. The good news: you can tackle visceral fat well with the right, sustainable habits, without a crash diet.

What is visceral fat?

Visceral fat is the fat that sits deep in your abdominal cavity, around organs such as your liver and intestines. You cannot pinch it like the fat just under your skin. Too much of this belly fat is an important risk factor for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.¹ So we look not only at your weight, but above all at where the fat sits.

Why does visceral fat matter for your health?

Visceral fat is more active than subcutaneous fat: it releases substances that affect your metabolism, blood pressure and inflammation. A large waist is therefore linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.¹ So it is about your health, more than about how flat your stomach looks.

How do you recognise too much visceral fat?

You mainly recognise it by your waist size and by a smart scale that estimates your visceral fat. Waist size is a simple, reliable measure: measure around your belly, between your lowest rib and the top of your hip.¹

Guidelines from the Netherlands Nutrition Centre:¹

• Men: healthy below 94 cm, increased risk from 94 cm, too high from 102 cm.
  
• Women: healthy below 80 cm, increased risk from 80 cm, too high from 88 cm.

A smart scale gives an indication and is handy to follow a trend, but your waist size remains the simplest reliable check.

What really lowers visceral fat?

Visceral fat actually responds well to a healthy lifestyle. Five things do the work:

• Movement. Regular activity, including simply walking and cycling, helps reduce visceral fat.
  
• Strength training. More muscle improves your metabolism and helps burn fat, even at rest.
  
• Nutrition. A small energy deficit with enough protein and fibre, without a crash diet, makes mainly fat disappear.
  
• Sleep. Too little sleep disrupts your hormones and hunger, and encourages visceral fat.
  
• Stress. Long-term stress and the hormone cortisol promote fat storage around the belly. So rest and recovery are part of it.

A real example from our practice

"A woman with a demanding board role got a nudge from her scale: her visceral fat was rising, while she looked perfectly fine on the outside. It was not a vanity goal, but a health signal. We built it up calmly: more movement in her day, strength training twice a week, earlier to bed and deliberate downtime. Within a few months her waist size dropped, and more importantly: she felt more energetic and calmer."

At De Werf it starts with reflection: where are you, what is your body telling you and what fits your life? From there we build a rhythm of movement, training, nutrition and recovery that you can sustain. That way you reduce visceral fat in a way that lasts, and above all invest in your health.

Want to reduce your visceral fat with an approach that fits your busy life? During an intake at De Werf in The Hague, discover what works for you.

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Sources:
¹ Do I have a healthy weight? - Voedingscentrum