This Type Of Fat Loss Was Linked To A 30% Lower Diabetes Risk
Imagine two people who both lose 15 pounds.
On paper, their results look identical. But what if one person lost mostly visceral fat while the other lost a mix of muscle, water, and fat stored elsewhere in the body?
According to new research, those outcomes may not be nearly as equal as they seem.
A study published in Circulation suggests that where fat is lost may matter more than the number of pounds lost overall. Researchers found that reductions in visceral fat, the deep abdominal fat stored around internal organs, were one of the strongest predictors of future metabolic health and diabetes risk.
Looking beyond the number on the scale
The study followed 366 participants from two long-running lifestyle intervention trials focused on healthy eating patterns and physical activity. Researchers brought participants back five and ten years later to assess their health using MRI scans and metabolic testing.
Instead of focusing solely on body weight, researchers measured several different fat depots throughout the body, including visceral fat, liver fat, pancreatic fat, and different layers of abdominal fat. This is because different types of fat affect the body in different ways.
Visceral fat is often considered the most metabolically harmful type. Unlike the fat stored just beneath the skin, visceral fat sits around organs and releases compounds that can promote inflammation, insulin resistance, and cardiometabolic disease. It's one of the reasons someone can appear relatively healthy on the outside while experiencing significant metabolic dysfunction internally.
Visceral fat loss predicted long-term health
When researchers analyzed the long-term data, one finding stood out. Visceral fat loss was the strongest predictor of future metabolic health.
Each 10% reduction in visceral fat was associated with a 28% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes during follow-up. Participants who lost more visceral fat also showed better insulin sensitivity, healthier metabolic risk scores, and lower overall metabolic syndrome severity years later.
Notably, visceral fat was the only fat depot that consistently predicted lower future diabetes risk. Researchers measured fat in the liver, pancreas, and abdominal tissues as well, but visceral fat emerged as the clearest marker of long-term protection.
How to reduce visceral fat
Fortunately, the habits that are good for your long-term health also tend to be the ones that reduce visceral fat most effectively. A few strategies supported by research include:
- Prioritizing resistance training two to four times per week
- Getting regular aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, cycling, swimming, or jogging
- Following a Mediterranean-style eating pattern rich in vegetables, legumes, fish, olive oil, and whole grains
- Aim for at least 100 grams of protein a day to support muscle maintenance
- Prioritizing sleep, since poor sleep is linked to greater visceral fat accumulation
- Managing chronic stress, which can contribute to abdominal fat storage over time
- Tracking waist circumference alongside weight, since it often reflects changes in visceral fat more accurately than BMI or weight
The takeaway
When it comes to long-term metabolic health, the goal may not simply be losing weight. It may be reducing the deep visceral fat that surrounds our organs and drives many of the processes linked to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.