ARE YOU THIN OUTSIDE, FAT INSIDE?

Are you carrying the riskiest fat? Visceral fat is fat that wraps around your abdominal organs deep inside your body. You can’t always feel it or see it. In fact, you may have a pretty flat tummy and still have visceral fat. That’s sometimes called TOFI, or “thin outside fat inside”.

Too much of any body fat is bad for your health. But compared to the fat that lies just underneath your skin (subcutaneous fat), the visceral kind is more likely to raise your risk for serious medical issues. Heart disease, Alzheimer’s, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, and high cholesterol are some of the conditions that are strongly linked to too much fat in your trunk. (Source: Web MD)

“Visceral fat releases inflammatory chemicals called cytokines that promote inflammation & damage blood vessels & tissues. It’s the riskiest form of fat to have. If you’re female & a have a waist size of 35+ inches or a male with a waist of 40+, you have too much,” says Kristie Leong M.D.

Here’s how to get rid of it.

Image: @DrKristieLeong