Visceral fat is the fat stored deep inside your abdomen, wrapped around vital organs. Unlike the fat under your skin, too much visceral fat can put you at risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and certain cancers.
The good news is that with the right lifestyle changes, and sometimes medical treatments, it’s possible to reduce it and protect your long-term health. In this guide, we’ll explain what visceral fat is, how to measure it, and the safest ways to lose it.
Three key takeaways
Visceral fat builds up deep in the abdomen and can affect long-term health.
You can reduce visceral fat through diet, exercise, sleep, stress management, and sometimes medical treatment.
Measuring your visceral fat level helps you understand your risk and track progress.
What causes visceral fat?
Visceral fat builds up when the calories you eat and drink aren’t balanced by the energy your body uses. Lifestyle factors, hormones, and genetics all play a role too, which is why some people carry more abdominal fat than others even at a healthy weight.
Common causes of visceral fat:
Poor diet Eating lots of sugar, refined carbs, and processed foods encourages fat storage in the abdomen.
Lack of exercise Being inactive makes it harder to burn excess energy, leading to fat gain.
High stress levels Stress raises cortisol, a hormone linked with storing fat around the organs.
High alcohol intake Drinking too much can increase abdominal fat.
Genetics and hormones Your body shape, metabolism, and fat distribution are partly inherited.
Menopause Hormonal changes mean women often store more fat around the abdomen after menopause.
How do you get rid of visceral fat?
There’s no way to target visceral fat alone, but you can reduce it through overall weight loss. A combination of healthy eating, regular exercise, good sleep, and stress management works best.
Make sure you’re:
Doing regular activity. This helps your body burn energy more efficiently, reducing visceral fat.
Eating balanced meals. keep your blood sugar steady and prevent fat storage, preventing visceral fat from building up.
Sleep and stress also make a difference, because they affect the hormones that control appetite and metabolism.
The key is consistency: combining healthy eating, movement, rest, and stress management helps your body gradually reduce visceral fat.
Top tips for losing visceral belly fat
Small daily habits can make a big difference when you’re trying to reduce visceral fat. These practical steps are easy to build into your routine:
Swap refined carbs for wholegrains Choose brown rice, oats, or wholemeal bread instead of white versions.
Eat plenty of high-fibre veg High-fibre vegetables help control appetite and stabilise blood sugar.
Cut down on alcohol Keep to NHS low-risk drinking guidelines (no more than 14 units a week).
Make movement part of your day Take the stairs, walk short journeys, or get off the bus a stop early.
Add strength moves at home Try squats, wall push-ups, or resistance bands to protect muscle as you lose fat.
Set a bedtime routine Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day improves sleep quality and supports weight management.
Plan ahead Meal prepping or healthy snack swaps make it easier to stick with changes long-term.
“When you lose weight, you naturally reduce visceral fat too. If you’re finding weight loss difficult and meet the right criteria, weight loss injections may help support you safely and effectively. Because visceral fat isn’t always visible, it’s important not to assume. A healthcare professional can arrange the right tests and give you a clear picture of your health, so you can get the right support and treatment.”
asmaller waist measurement or lower waist-to-hip ratio
clothes feeling looser around the middle
weight loss on the scales, especially when combined with a healthier diet and activity
better blood pressurereadings
improved cholesterol and blood sugar results at check-ups
feeling fitter, with more energy and stamina for everyday activities
Because visceral fat sits around your internal organs, you won’t see changes as clearly as you would with fat just under the skin. Instead, progress often shows up through body measurements and health improvements.
Can weight loss injections help?
Yes - weight loss injections such as semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) reduce overall body fat, which includes visceral fat. Clinical studies show they can improve waist circumference, BMI, and metabolic markers like blood sugar and cholesterol.
These medicines work best when combined with healthy lifestyle changes. A balanced diet, regular activity, good sleep, and stress management all help ensure the fat you lose is sustainable - and that you keep it off long-term.
A new weight loss injection called Retatrutide is expected to be available around 2026-2027. This injection has been shown to also directly burn fat, which may make it the best choice for managing visceral fat.
How do you work out your visceral fat level?
Ways to measure visceral fat include:
DEXA scans The gold standard for measuring fat distribution, though mainly used in specialist clinics.
MRI or CT scans Very accurate but expensive, and not routinely offered outside hospital care.
Smart scales and home monitors Estimate visceral fat using bioelectrical impedance. Results can be helpful for tracking changes, but they’re not 100% reliable.
Waist-to-hip ratio A quick home measurement that can show if you carry more weight around your middle, which is a sign of higher visceral fat.
There isn’t a single simple test you can do at home to measure visceral fat directly. Doctors usually assess it through scans or by looking at waist size and body proportions. Some home devices can give an estimate, but they’re not always exact.
Visceral fat index
A visceral fat index is a numerical score used to estimate how much fat you have stored around your internal organs in relation to your overall body size. It can provide more detail about fat distribution than weight or BMI alone, which only show total body mass.
In medical practice, scans like DEXA or MRI provide the most accurate measurements.
Visceral fat rating
Many smart scales and home body composition monitors provide a visceral fat rating. This is an estimate of how much fat is stored around your organs, based on how your body resists a small electrical current. On most devices, a score between 1 and 12 is considered within a healthy range, while 13 or above suggests higher levels of visceral fat linked with increased health risks.
These scores can be useful for tracking changes over time, but they aren’t as accurate as medical scans. Results can also fluctuate depending on your hydration, the time of day, and the device you use. If you’re concerned about a high reading, it’s best to discuss it with a healthcare professional who can arrange more reliable tests if needed.
How do I tell if I have visceral stomach fat?
You can’t always see visceral fat. Even people who look slim can have higher levels around their organs. That’s why doctors use body measurements and scans rather than appearance alone.
Common indicators include:
a waist measurement above94cm (37in) for men or 80cm (31.5in) for women
an “apple-shaped” body (carrying more weight around the middle) rather than “pear-shaped”
a high waist-to-hip ratio
Doctors may also use body composition scans such as DEXA, MRI, or CT, which are highly accurate but usually only available in medical settings. At home, smart scales and similar devices can give an estimated visceral fat rating, though results aren’t always exact.
Visceral fat vs. subcutaneous fat
Visceral fat and subcutaneous fat are the 2 main types of body fat, but they behave very differently. Subcutaneous fat is the layer stored just under your skin - it’s the fat you can pinch on your arms, hips, or thighs. Visceral fat lies deeper inside the abdomen and surrounds your organs.
The biggest difference is in health risk. Subcutaneous fat is more visible and can affect how your body looks and feels, but it isn’t usually linked as strongly to long-term health problems. Visceral fat is harder to spot but more dangerous in excess, as it’s associated with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other metabolic conditions.
It’s also possible to carry little visible fat under the skin and still have high levels of visceral fat - a body type sometimes described as “TOFI” (thin outside, fat inside). This is why waist measurements and other tests are more reliable indicators of risk than weight or appearance alone.
Visceral fat ranges for males and females
Doctors sometimes use waist measurements as a simple way to check health risks linked with excess fat around the abdomen. The NHS explains that people with larger waist sizes are more likely to develop obesity-related health problems.
The following ranges are often used in clinical and public health settings to show when risk increases:
Group
Increased risk
High risk
Men
Over 94cm (37in)
Over 102cm (40in)
Women
Over 80cm (31.5in)
Over 88cm (34.5in)
These measurements are a guide and should be considered alongside other health checks. If you’re worried about your waist size or overall risk, it’s best to speak to a healthcare professional.
Frequently asked questions
How do you measure visceral fat?
Visceral fat can be measured with medical scans such as DEXA, MRI, or CT, which show exactly how much fat surrounds your organs. At home, waist size, waist-to-hip ratio, or smart scales can give a rough estimate, but they’re less accurate.
Where can you get visceral fat?
Visceral fat builds up inside the abdominal cavity, wrapping around organs like the liver, pancreas, and intestines. Because it sits deeper in the body than subcutaneous fat, you can’t always see it from the outside.
Is it hard to lose visceral fat?
Visceral fat often responds well to healthy lifestyle changes. Diet, exercise, better sleep, and stress management can all reduce it.
What’s a healthy visceral fat range?
Waist measurements below 94cm for men and 80cm for women are generally considered lower risk.
Can you have visceral fat without being overweight?
Yes. People who look slim can still have high visceral fat levels - a body type sometimes called “TOFI” (thin outside, fat inside). That’s why waist size and body composition are more reliable indicators of health risk than BMI alone.
Does alcohol cause visceral fat?
Drinking too much alcohol is strongly linked with higher abdominal fat. Alcohol contains empty calories that are stored easily as fat and can disrupt the way your body burns energy. Reducing alcohol can help lower visceral fat.
Are men or women more likely to store visceral fat?
Both men and women store visceral fat, but it tends to build up in slightly different ways. Women often see an increase after menopause due to hormonal changes.
Can visceral fat come back after losing it?
Yes, visceral fat can return if old habits creep back in. The best way to prevent this is to focus on sustainable lifestyle changes - balanced eating, regular activity, good sleep, and stress management. These long-term habits make weight regain less likely.
Sources
Obesity (2024) British Heart Foundation (accessed 14 September 2025)
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