Visceral fat

What does visceral fat do in the body?

Visceral fat is fat stored deep inside the abdomen, around the internal organs. It functions as a hormonally active tissue, not just stored energy [1]. When too much builds up, the result is called visceral obesity, a pattern linked to metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and several cancers, including prostate, breast, and colorectal cancer [1]. Fat stored in other places, such as the liver or around the heart, is called ectopic fat, and emerging evidence suggests it might add to cardiometabolic risk [2].

How is visceral fat measured, and why does it matter for cardiometabolic risk?

Visceral fat is most accurately measured with CT or MRI scans, and a 2019 position statement identifies it as an independent risk marker for cardiovascular and metabolic illness and death [2]. NHLBI counts a large waistline, also called abdominal obesity, as one sign of metabolic syndrome, and says extra fat in the stomach area is a bigger heart-disease risk factor than extra fat elsewhere [3]. A 2026 systematic review of 35 studies found visceral fat consistently fell alongside total fat mass when adults lost weight on incretin-based medications [4].