Subcutaneous vs Visceral Fat: Key Differences and Measurement Methods
Subcutaneous vs visceral fat: key differences
Subcutaneous vs visceral fat comes down to where fat is stored: subcutaneous fat sits under the skin, while visceral fat sits deeper in the abdomen around internal organs. Two people can weigh the same and have very different mixes of these fat types.
- Subcutaneous fat (SAT) sits under your skin—it’s the “pinchable” fat.
- Visceral fat (VAT) sits deep in your abdomen, around organs.
Both are normal parts of human biology. Everyone has some visceral fat, and the health concern is usually about excess visceral fat over time (Cleveland Clinic: Visceral Fat).
When visceral fat is high, it’s typically the more concerning pattern because it’s strongly tied to cardiometabolic risk (often described as particularly harmful “belly fat” in consumer-facing clinical education) (Harvard Health Publishing).
Medical disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a qualified clinician before making changes to diet, exercise, or medications—especially if you’re pregnant, managing a medical condition, or considering prescription weight-loss drugs.
Quick comparison: subcutaneous vs visceral fat
| Feature | Subcutaneous fat (SAT) | Visceral fat (VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Where it’s stored | Under the skin (belly, hips, thighs, arms) | Inside the abdominal cavity, around organs |
| Can you pinch it? | Usually yes | No (it’s behind the abdominal wall) |
| What it tends to look/feel like | Softer, “grabbable” | Can contribute to a firmer, more protruding abdomen (not diagnostic) |
| Why it matters | Energy storage, insulation, cushioning | More strongly associated with cardiometabolic risk when elevated (Harvard Health Publishing) |
Note on “spot reduction”: You generally can’t precisely choose where fat loss comes from—fat loss tends to happen system-wide, not in a single targeted area (Cleveland Clinic: 14 ways to lose belly fat).
What is subcutaneous fat?
Subcutaneous fat is the fat layer right under the skin. It helps with insulation, protects tissues, and stores energy.
Cleveland Clinic notes that subcutaneous fat typically makes up about 90% of total body fat (Cleveland Clinic: Subcutaneous Fat).
It’s worth treating percentages like “~90% subcutaneous, smaller visceral share” as population-level rules of thumb, not a diagnostic target.
Why the split varies:
- sex
- age
- overall body-fat level
- the measurement method used
What is visceral fat?
Visceral fat is fat stored deep in the abdomen, around organs.
Why visceral fat can have outsized metabolic effects
Here’s the plain-language version of a common research idea:
- Visceral fat sits close to the liver.
- It can release fatty acids and inflammatory signals.
- Some of that output drains through the portal vein—a major blood-vessel pathway that carries blood from the digestive organs to the liver.
That “visceral-to-liver” connection is one reason visceral fat is often discussed in relation to fatty liver and insulin resistance in research and clinical reviews (Clinical Liver Disease review, 2022).
In that context, you may see the term MASLD (formerly NAFLD). MASLD is the newer umbrella term for fatty liver conditions tied to metabolic risk factors (replacing the older NAFLD label) (AASLD: New MASLD nomenclature, 2023).
Pairing DEXA with Subcutaneous and Visceral Fat
Learn how BodySpec DEXA scans can help if you're interested in learning more about subcutaneous and visceral fat.
Book a BodySpec DEXA scan today and see exactly how your body composition changes over time.
How it can look and feel
You can’t reliably “eyeball” visceral fat—but these cues can be a nudge to measure:
- Soft and pinchable belly: may suggest more subcutaneous fat in that area.
- Firmer, more protruding abdomen: may be consistent with higher visceral fat, but bloating, posture, and abdominal muscle tone can mimic this.
In other words: how your belly looks or feels isn’t a reliable way to identify visceral fat.
When in doubt: measure your waist (and/or use a DXA scan for an objective tracking estimate, not a diagnosis).
How to measure visceral fat (at home and clinically)
1) Imaging (DXA vs CT/MRI)
If you want the most direct picture of where fat is stored, imaging is the way to go.
- CT and MRI are reference imaging methods for directly quantifying visceral fat.
- DXA (often called a DEXA scan) is widely used for clinical body composition assessment because it's relatively fast and repeatable. It provides whole-body and regional estimates of fat and lean mass.
A 2020 clinical review describes DXA as a reference technique for clinical body-composition assessment. In contrast, CT/MRI remain the reference methods for directly quantifying visceral fat depots (Body composition with DXA review, 2020).
How DXA works (and how it estimates visceral fat)
DXA uses two low-energy X-ray beams and measures how different tissues absorb/block those beams. Because bone, fat, and lean tissue affect the beams differently, DXA can estimate bone mineral content, fat mass, and lean mass (including by region) (Body composition by DXA (PMC)).
For visceral fat, specialized DXA software can estimate visceral adipose tissue by analyzing an abdominal region.
This is often called the android region—think lower belly/waist area in the scan report.
A common approach is: estimate total abdominal fat in that region, model subcutaneous abdominal fat, then derive visceral fat from the remainder (Body composition with DXA review, 2020).
Limitations: DXA visceral fat is an algorithmic estimate, and results can differ across device brands and software versions (Korean Journal of Radiology review, 2026).
How accurate is DXA visceral fat?
Big picture: studies often find DXA-derived VAT correlates well with CT/MRI at a group level, but absolute values can differ (so methods aren't always interchangeable).
Examples from validation studies:
- MRI comparison (post-bariatric surgery): DXA VAT underestimated MRI VAT and also underestimated VAT changes over time in a bariatric surgery sample (CoreScan vs MRI after bariatric surgery, 2023).
- MRI comparison (athletes): DXA VAT showed strong correlation overall, but reduced validity for athletes with higher VAT volumes in one study of Japanese male collegiate athletes (DXA vs MRI in athletes, 2022).
Practical takeaway: absolute VAT values (area/volume/mass) can differ because each method—and each DXA device/software algorithm—draws the "visceral fat boundary" differently. For progress tracking, it's most meaningful to compare the same method (and ideally the same device/software) over time.
Radiation context (high-level)
RadiologyInfo lists a CT abdomen/pelvis around 7.7 mSv (typical) and notes that dose varies with the specific exam, technology, and patient factors (RadiologyInfo radiation dose chart).
DXA is typically much lower dose, with effective dose often in the µSv range and varying by system design and scan mode. For comparison, the IAEA notes that natural background radiation is about 10 µSv per day (IAEA: Radiation protection of patients during DXA). (Unit note: 1 mSv = 1,000 µSv.)
2) Waist circumference (fast screening)
The NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) notes that a waist circumference of more than 35 inches for women or more than 40 inches for men increases risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes (NHLBI waist circumference risk thresholds).
Important: waist cut points can vary by ethnicity, age, and guideline body; clinicians may use different thresholds for specific populations (waist-as-a-vital-sign consensus statement).
Step-by-step: How to measure your waist
3) Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR)
WHtR = waist ÷ height (use the same units).
A widely used public-health cut point is 0.5 ("keep your waist to less than half your height") (NCBI/PMC WHtR review).
In a systematic review/meta-analysis of older adults, WHtR showed better diagnostic performance than BMI and waist circumference for screening metabolic syndrome (WHtR diagnostic accuracy for metabolic syndrome in older adults (systematic review)).
Deep dive: How to calculate waist-to-height ratio (and what it means)
Ready to Scan? Book your BodySpec DEXA Here!
Visceral fat screening: a practical approach
Non-diagnostic note: This is a simple screening approach, not a validated medical calculator.
Step 1: Measure waist + height
Step 2: Calculate WHtR
WHtR = waist ÷ height
Step 3: Interpret common cut points (with context)
These are commonly used screening thresholds, but cut points vary by guideline body and population (including age, sex, and ethnicity) (waist-as-a-vital-sign consensus statement).
- WHtR < 0.50: often considered a lower central-obesity risk screen (NCBI/PMC WHtR review)
- WHtR ≥ 0.50: a common “central obesity” screening flag—use it as a prompt to focus on habits and track waist trends (and consider discussing risk factors with a clinician if you have concerns)
- Waist circumference: NHLBI’s commonly used cut points (>35 in women, >40 in men) are another “flag” to take central fat seriously (NHLBI waist circumference risk thresholds)
If these screening metrics are elevated and you want more detail for progress tracking, a DXA scan is one general option.
- More on DXA visceral fat estimates: DXA scan for visceral fat: accuracy, cost & results
- Methods ranked: Most accurate body composition test
For individualized risk assessment—especially if you have other risk factors—consider discussing your measurements with a clinician.
A practical 12-week plan to reduce visceral fat (with muscle in mind)
This is a general educational framework—not medical advice.
If you’re brand new to exercise, have been sedentary, have cardiovascular/metabolic conditions, or have pain/injury limitations, scale intensity down and consider medical clearance before adding vigorous intervals.
Your weekly scorecard
- 150+ minutes/week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (or equivalent), plus muscle-strengthening 2+ days/week (CDC adult guidelines)
- Waist measurement weekly under the same conditions
Weeks 1–4: Make the plan easy
- Reduce sugar-sweetened beverages (they’re associated with weight gain and other cardiometabolic risks) (CDC: Fast Facts on Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption).
- Build a repeatable baseline: 2 strength sessions/week + daily steps (and aim toward weekly activity targets) (CDC adult guidelines).
Weeks 5–8: Add “intensity on purpose”
- Add intervals once per week if appropriate for you.
- Start conservative (fewer rounds, easier effort) and build gradually.
- Evidence check: a 2024 umbrella review of systematic reviews found interval training (HIIT/SIT) reduces body fat and also shows reductions in visceral adipose tissue compared with non-exercise controls (Umbrella review/meta-analysis, 2024).
- Safety note: if you have chest pain, unexplained shortness of breath, uncontrolled blood pressure, or you’re unsure what’s safe, consider talking with a clinician or a qualified coach first.
Weeks 9–12: Tighten the feedback loop
- Keep the routine; avoid “program hopping.”
- If possible, take an objective before/after measurement.
To keep scan-to-scan comparisons clean: How to prepare for your BodySpec scan
Why a DXA scan can clarify subcutaneous vs visceral fat
A scale can’t tell you whether weight change came from visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, muscle, or water.
A DXA body composition scan can provide regional fat/lean estimates and a visceral-fat estimate—useful for tracking change over time. Remember: visceral fat on DXA is an estimate, and trends are most meaningful when you track with the same method (and ideally the same device/software) over time (Korean Journal of Radiology review, 2026).
Bottom line
- Subcutaneous fat is under the skin and usually makes up most body fat.
- Visceral fat is deeper, harder to detect, and more strongly tied to cardiometabolic risk when elevated.
- You can screen at home using waist circumference and WHtR, then use a DXA scan if you want objective, repeatable tracking.
Next step: Book a BodySpec scan here: Book a DXA scan.
