Summary

• Visceral fat is an additional data point we can use to better understand our health.

• Visceral fat is linked to a number of chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, dementia, asthma, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer. [source]

• Diet and diet plus exercise have been shown to reduce visceral fat. [source]

Recently I watched the Netflix documentary “You Are What You Eat.” The documentary follows a group of participants in a health study led by Christopher Gardner, nutrition researcher at Stanford University. Dexafit, a company that provides health assessments and analytics, was used to gather body composition data.

I find data useful. I decided to get a Dexa scan and a RMR (resting metabolic rate) test at Dexafit in Manhattan. My hope is that the Dexa scan will be a resource available to everyone in the future. If it’s not available to you, waist circumference is a free tool you can use to get a better understanding of your body composition, and associated health risks.

What is a Dexa scan?

“A DEXA scan is an imaging test that measures bone density (strength). DEXA scan results can provide helpful details about your risk for osteoporosis (bone loss) and fractures (bone breaks). This test can also measure your body composition, such as body fat and muscle mass.” [source]

My Dexa scan results ⬇️

What is visceral fat?

“Visceral fat is belly fat found deep within your abdominal cavity. It surrounds important organs, including your stomach, liver and intestines. It’s different than subcutaneous fat, which is fat just below your skin. Visceral fat is actually more dangerous to your health.” [source]

Visceral fat is not the fat you see when you look at yourself in the mirror or pinch body fat with your fingers. It surrounds your stomach, liver, intestines and other organs. Being thin is not a measure of visceral fat.

Why is it important?

“Visceral fat increases the risk for development of chronic low-grade inflammation and is involved in the pathogenesis of numerous inflammatory medical conditions including metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as being an important, independent predictor of all-cause mortality.” [source]

“In humans, there is compelling evidence that abdominal obesity most strongly predicts mortality risk.” [source]

What is the reference range for visceral fat?

“Although there are no standard reference ranges for visceral fat, in healthy individuals, values are generally less than 1 kg for younger individuals and between 1-2 kg for older individuals. However, these are cohort study approximations.” [source]

1 kg = 2.2 lbs

How are diet and visceral fat related?

“Observational studies have found that intakes of fruit, dairy*, whole grains, and fiber are protective, whereas

intakes of fried foods and fat, alcohol, red and processed meat and related nutrients, sugar-sweetened beverages and refined grains and high glycemic index foods are associated with higher levels of VF mass (VFM) or waist circumference.” [source]

* unlike fruit, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, there are also noted health risks and factory farming issues associated with dairy

Diet or exercise?

“We conclude that weight loss of 6–7% with diet or with exercise plus diet reduced both subcutaneous and intra-abdominal [visceral] fat. Only subcutaneous fat statistically significantly reduced to a larger extent when exercise is combined with a small caloric restriction.” [source]

I shared a post previously on a typical day of eating as well as a post about how what I eat translates to calories, macro and micro nutrients. I do not track or restrict calories.

Why did I write this post? 👋

To empower you with an example of one of the many ways a whole food plant-based (or plant-predominant) diet can lead to improved health outcomes including reduced disease-risk, improved healthspan and longevity.

Food for thought 🌱

Take a few minutes to think about a typical day of eating. Are there any adjustments you’d make to include more unprocessed plant foods?

Additional reading

The effect of high-polyphenol Mediterranean diet on visceral adiposity: the DIRECT PLUS randomized controlled trial

📌

Do you feel empowered or discouraged by health data? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

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I have no affiliation with Dexafit.

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