Fat exists in (almost) all parts of the body
… except for around the brain, the eyelids, parts of the oesophagus and the penis.
No matter one’s body shape, carrying excess fat is a huge health risk, no question about it.
But if we go deeper into “fat mapping”, growing research shows that where our fat is stored in the body has an even bigger impact all round.
Fat facts to weigh in
Did you know? – a typical adult has approximately 30 – 50 billion fat cells!
According to a molecular biology report by Swedish scientists, “the number of fat cells stays constant in adulthood in lean and obese individuals, even after marked weight loss”, indicating that the number of fat cells is set during childhood and adolescence.
While factors determining fat mass in adult humans are not fully understood, what has been proven is that fat cells have the capacity to grow or shrink and can expand up to 10 times their normal size.
In most people, about 90% of bodyfat is subcutaneous, meaning it lies in a layer just beneath the skin. If you poke or pinch your belly, the fat that feels soft is subcutaneous fat and is there for protection and to help keep us warm.
The remaining 10%, called visceral fat, is found beneath the abdominal wall in the spaces surrounding the liver, intestines, and other organs. It’s also stored in the omentum, an apron-like flap of tissue that lies under the abdominal muscles and gets harder and thicker as it fills with fat. This is the type of fat that is strongly linked to metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death.
Ladies and gentlemen
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that the places you predominantly store fat and the places you lose it from first are largely determined by your gender (specifically sex hormones) and your genes (not jeans).
Oestrogen and testosterone levels are two of the biggest drivers of fat storage:
Women tend to store more fat around their hips, bottom, thighs and breasts (composed almost entirely of fat). This is why, when dieting, they tend to reduce in size long before losing the wobble elsewhere.
Men on the other hand, particularly as they age, often get that pot-belly look due to decreased levels of testosterone in the lipids surrounding the abdomen.
But don’t be quick to judge a book by its cover!
Just because you don’t have a pot-belly or wide hips doesn’t mean you’re healthy or that you don’t need worry.
If you haven’t heard of the term, “skinny fat”, this is when someone looks normal (or even thin) on the outside but has a high bodyfat percentage and can be seen in both men and women.
Being “skinny fat” is mainly due to poor diet and lack of exercise and has the same risks for health problems that are related to obesity.
While you can’t change your genetics, there are steps you can take to prevent the build-up of fat in the wrong places, such as:
- Exercise – even if you don’t lose weight in grams, you lose visceral fat and gain muscle mass.
- Eating right – avoid saturated or trans-fats and cut back on sweetened foods and beverages.
- Not smoking – the more you smoke, the more likely you are to store fat in your abdomen.
References:
Calorie Control Council (ND) Is “Skinny Fat” real? Available at Calorie Control Council [online] https://caloriecontrol.org/is-skinny-fat-real/
Did you know: “A typical adult has approximately 50 billion fat cells”. Available at Weight loss resources. [online] https://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/body_weight/body_fat/fifteen-fascinating-fat-factoids.htm
Harvard Health (2010) Taking aim at belly fat. Available at Harvard Health Publishing [online] https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/taking-aim-at-belly-fat
Potash, S. (2008) Facts About Fat. Available at NIH Medicine Plus [online] https://medlineplus.gov/magazine/issues/fall08/articles/fall08pg28b.html
Spalding. K (2008) Dynamics of fat cell turnover in humans. Available at Pubmed [online] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18454136
University of Illinois at Chicago (2016) Why is visceral fat worse than subcutaneous fat? Available at Science Daily [online] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160425161349.htm