If you have ever felt frustrated because the number on the bathroom scale refuses to budge despite your best efforts, it is time to look beyond weight. In the fitness world, we often get obsessed with “losing fat,” treating it as a single, uniform enemy.
But the truth is far more nuanced. Our bodies are complex biological machines, and they store energy in different ways for different reasons. Two women of the exact same height and weight can have completely different health profiles depending on where that weight is stored.
Understanding body composition – the ratio of fat to muscle, bone, and water – is the key to moving past frustrating aesthetic goals and focusing on genuine, long-term health.
Here is the RunMoveTone guide to the different types of body fat and why they matter.
1. Subcutaneous Fat: The Layer You Can See
When most people talk about wanting to “lose fat” to tone up, this is usually what they mean. Subcutaneous fat is the layer stored directly beneath your skin. It is the “soft” or “pinchable” fat found on your arms, legs, hips, and bum.
Why do we have it? Evolutionarily, subcutaneous fat is vital. It acts as a layer of insulation to keep us warm, provides padding to protect our muscles and bones from falls, and serves as a vast energy reserve for times of famine.
The Health Impact: While having excessive amounts carries some risks, subcutaneous fat is generally considered “metabolically passive.” It sits there waiting to be used for energy, but it doesn’t actively interfere much with your body’s internal processes. It can be stubborn to shift – especially in areas like the thighs for women due to genetic programming – but it is the least dangerous type of fat to carry.
2. Visceral Fat: The Hidden Risk
This is the fat we need to talk about. Visceral fat is stored deep within the abdominal cavity. It wraps around your vital organs, including the liver, stomach, and intestines. You cannot pinch it. If you have a “hard” protruding belly, that is often a sign of high visceral fat.
The Health Impact: Unlike subcutaneous fat, visceral fat is “metabolically active.” Think of it like an extra organ that you do not want. It pumps fatty acids and inflammatory substances (called cytokines) directly into your bloodstream and liver.
High levels of visceral fat are strongly linked to serious health conditions, regardless of your overall weight. These include:
- Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes: Visceral fat interferes with how your body handles insulin.
- Heart Disease: Due to increased inflammation and cholesterol issues.
- Hormonal Disruption: It can actually produce its own hormones, further throwing your system off balance.
The Menopause Connection: As we discussed in our post on The Truth About Menopause Weight Gain, declining oestrogen levels cause the body to shift fat storage away from the hips (subcutaneous) and towards the belly (visceral). This is why midlife health is so critical.
Further Reading: The British Heart Foundation provides excellent guidance on why carrying extra weight around your middle is a key health indicator. Read more on the BHF website.
3. Brown Fat vs. White Fat: The “Good” and the “Bad”
Not all fat cells are just storage lockers.
White Fat: Most of the fat in our bodies (both subcutaneous and visceral) is “white fat.” Its main job is to store excess energy in large droplets.
Brown Fat (BAT): Brown adipose tissue is fascinating because its job is to burn energy, not store it. It is packed with iron-rich mitochondria (the powerhouses of cells), which give it its brown colour. When activated, brown fat burns glucose and white fat to generate body heat – a process called thermogenesis.
Babies have lots of brown fat to keep them warm, but adults have less. The good news? You can activate the brown fat you have through exercise and exposure to cold temperatures.
4. Ectopic Fat: When Storage Overflows
When our primary fat storage areas (subcutaneous and visceral) become full, the body has no choice but to start storing fat in places it doesn’t belong. This is known as ectopic fat.
It can accumulate inside the liver (fatty liver disease), around the heart, and even inside skeletal muscle fibres. When fat gets inside muscle tissue, it gums up the works, making the muscle less responsive to insulin and affecting your strength and metabolism.
How Do You Measure It?
If the bathroom scale can’t tell the difference between muscle, subcutaneous fat, and dangerous visceral fat, what can you do?
Ditch the BMI: Body Mass Index is a very rough tool. It frequently misclassifies muscular people as overweight and misses people with “normal” weight who carry dangerous levels of hidden visceral fat (sometimes called “skinny fat”).
The Tape Measure Test (Waist-to-Hip Ratio): This is a simple, effective at-home health check.
- Measure your waist at its narrowest point (usually just above the belly button).
- Measure your hips at their widest point.
- Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. For women, a ratio above 0.85 indicates a higher risk related to visceral fat storage.
The RunMoveTone Solution: Targeting Health Over Size
The takeaway here isn’t to fear fat, but to understand it. While you cannot easily “spot reduce” subcutaneous stubborn areas, the good news is that visceral fat – the dangerous stuff – is often the first to go when you start making healthy changes.
At RunMoveTone, our approach focuses on improving body composition, not just losing weight:
- Prioritise Strength Training: As we explore in our Strength Training guide, building muscle improves your overall metabolism and helps your body manage blood sugar, reducing visceral fat storage.
- Manage Stress (Cortisol): High chronic stress is a major driver of visceral fat accumulation. Recovery and sleep are just as important as the workout.
- Nourish, Don’t Starve: Severe calorie restriction often backfires. We focus on high-protein, nutrient-dense nutrition that supports muscle and keeps inflammation low.
Focus on Health, Not Just Size
A healthy body comes in many shapes. By shifting your focus from being “smaller” to being metabolically healthier, stronger, and more capable, the aesthetic changes will often follow naturally and sustainably.
Are you ready to stop guessing and start training for real health? Book a zero-obligation, non-judgemental consultation with me today – contact me on 07767 608462 or via runmovetone@gmail.com.
Symone x
