The distribution of abdominal fat often says more about health than body weight alone. Visceral fat, also known as organ fat, is located deep within the abdominal cavity around vital organs and can be present without being visible from the outside.
What is visceral fat?
Visceral fat is adipose tissue that surrounds organs such as the liver, intestines, and pancreas. This type of fat differs from subcutaneous fat, which lies directly under the skin and may be visible as belly fat. Because visceral fat is located close to the organs, it influences processes such as metabolism, hormonal regulation, and inflammatory responses in the body. Within research on body composition, visceral fat is therefore considered an important indicator of metabolic health.
Why is visceral fat important for health?
Scientific research shows that an increased amount of visceral fat is associated with a higher risk of, among other things, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and disturbances in fat metabolism. Visceral fat is metabolically active and produces substances that affect insulin sensitivity and inflammatory processes. As a result, a person with a normal body weight or an apparently healthy body fat percentage may still have an increased health risk, while visible abdominal fat does not always imply the same level of risk.
Why is visceral fat not visible?
A key characteristic of visceral fat is that it is not located on the outside of the body. A person can be slim and still have a relatively large amount of organ fat. This explains why visceral fat is sometimes referred to as “invisible belly fat.” Without insight into body composition, differences in fat distribution often go unnoticed, even though they are relevant to metabolic health.
Why measure visceral fat?
Measuring visceral fat provides additional information beyond general metrics such as body weight, BMI, and body fat percentage. By assessing organ fat separately, a more complete picture of body composition and metabolic profile emerges. Measuring visceral fat can also provide insight into changes over time, for example during lifestyle modifications. In addition, fat distribution plays a role in conditions such as fatty liver disease, where measuring liver fat can contribute to a better understanding of metabolic status.
How are visceral fat and body composition measured?
There are several methods for measuring body composition. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), such as InBody or other BIA measurements, provides a general estimate of fat mass, muscle mass, and body fat percentage, but cannot directly distinguish visceral fat or organ fat. DEXA scans are used to measure fat mass and lean mass and offer more detail than BIA, but provide limited direct information about the distribution of abdominal fat. For accurate measurement of visceral fat, imaging techniques are used. Both CT scans and MRI make it possible to visualize and quantify adipose tissue around the abdominal organs. CT is considered a valid method, but it uses ionizing radiation and is therefore mainly applied when a scan is already being performed for medical reasons. MRI is internationally regarded as the reference method for measuring body composition and visceral fat, as it provides detailed insight without the use of ionizing radiation and is suitable for preventive measurements and repeated follow-up.MRI Body Composition at Prescan
At Prescan, visceral fat is measured as part of the MRI Body Composition examination. This assessment maps the amount and distribution of abdominal fat, as well as muscle mass, muscle quality, and the presence and extent of liver fat accumulation. The MRI images are analyzed using scientifically validated analysis tools and summarized in a clear report that provides insight into an individual’s body composition and metabolic profile.
