{"id":13972,"date":"2025-04-17T05:36:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T22:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=13972"},"modified":"2025-04-17T05:36:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T22:36:12","slug":"do-you-know-the-4-types-of-body-fat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=13972","title":{"rendered":"Do You Know the 4 Types of Body Fat?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"articleBody\">\n<p>Most of us think of fat (a.k.a. adipose tissue) as our body\u2019s kitchen cabinet \u2014 a storage system for excess calories that we can dip into if we find ourselves in a pinch, or on a long hike without trail mix. While that is partly true, there are different types of body fat that serve various purposes.<\/p>\n<p>So if you\u2019re hellbent on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beachbodyondemand.com\/blog\/how-to-lose-weight-not-muscle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">losing body fat<\/a> or maintaining a low <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bodi.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-body-fat-percentage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">body fat percentage<\/a>, you might be inhibiting some of your body\u2019s normal functions, like blood circulation and repairing and building new cells.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFat is one of the main building blocks of a living, functioning person,\u201d explains <a href=\"https:\/\/www.parkavendo.com\/meet-our-team\/gillian-goddard-m-d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dr. Gillian Goddard, M.D.,<\/a> a general endocrinologist and adjunct assistant professor of medicine at NYU Langone Hospital. \u201cFat is definitely not just an inert storage for excess energy or excess calories.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Learn about the role of body fat and how its various types differ.<\/p>\n<h2>1. White Fat<\/h2>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-180088\" src=\"https:\/\/bodiblog.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/types-of-body-fat-600-white.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhite fat cells are large blobs with a big lipid (fatty) droplet in the middle and a little rim of cellular machinery,\u201d Goddard explains. White fat is the type that mostly provides storage for excess energy.<\/p>\n<p>There are two forms of white fat that you\u2019re probably familiar with: subcutaneous and visceral.<\/p>\n<h3>Subcutaneous fat<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-176634\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/19164226\/how-to-get-more-vascular-600-fat.png\" alt=\"Depiction of Belly Fat | How to Get More Vascular\" width=\"401\" height=\"401\"\/><\/p>\n<p>For most people, subcutaneous fat is primarily made of white fat cells and is the layer of adipose tissue just under your skin. It\u2019s mostly found in your arms, legs, and belly, storing excess calories and helping keep you warm like a natural layer of insulation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you maintain a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bodi.com\/blog\/what-is-healthy-weight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">healthy body weight<\/a>, subcutaneous fat does not tend to be metabolically deleterious or contribute to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bodi.com\/blog\/insulin-resistance-physical-exercise\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">insulin resistance<\/a>,\u201d says Goddard. In line with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bodi.com\/blog\/body-positivity-movement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">body positivity movement<\/a>, it\u2019s totally possible to have curves and be fit.<\/p>\n<p>That said, if you\u2019ve ever seen a picture of yourself and thought twice about posting it because of dimply-looking skin on your legs (a.k.a. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bodi.com\/blog\/how-to-get-rid-of-cellulite\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">cellulite<\/a>), subcutaneous fat is to blame. Cellulite occurs when fat pushes through the connective tissue beneath your skin.<\/p>\n<h3>Visceral fat<\/h3>\n<p>If you want to brand one type of fat as \u201cbad fat,\u201d\u00a0visceral fat\u00a0or deep fat would be it. It\u2019s made entirely of white fat cells and forms in your abdomen and around your organs. Having some visceral fat is normal, but excessive amounts can\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5504448\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">increase your risk\u00a0<\/a>of diabetes and other serious ailments, such as liver dysfunction.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVisceral fat is one of the biggest contributing factors to health implications deriving from excess body fat,\u201d says Goddard.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the clearest indication of excess visceral fat is having a hard \u201cbeer belly,\u201d but you should also pay attention to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bodi.com\/blog\/how-to-take-your-measurements\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">waist size<\/a>. If you\u2019re a woman with a waist circumference larger than 35 inches or a man with a waist circumference larger than 40, you likely have enough visceral fat to negatively impact your health.<\/p>\n<h2>2. Brown Fat<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-180089\" src=\"https:\/\/bodiblog.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/types-of-body-fat-600-brown.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\"\/><\/p>\n<p>One of the biggest changes in defining the types of body fat over the past decade \u2014 and potentially the most confusing \u2014 has been the addition of a new category:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bodi.com\/blog\/brown-fat-cells-weight-loss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">brown fat<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Compared to white fat, brown fat cells have a small lipid droplet and much denser cellular components, which is why they appear brown. Those components include mitochondria, where <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bodi.com\/blog\/what-are-fatty-acids\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fatty acids<\/a> and glucose (sugar) are burned, producing heat.<\/p>\n<p>Contrary to all of your preconceptions about lazy fat cells, this is a metabolically active type of fat, which is currently being studied for its potential use in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC9874101\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">treating obesity<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the past, it had been thought that only infants had brown fat,\u201d explains Goddard. \u201cHowever, adults have brown fat as well.\u201d Brown fat helps regulate body temperature, which is why babies have so much of it. But once you develop muscles to help keep you warm, you lose most of this \u201cbaby fat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In adults, it\u2019s found in the areas where your neck connects to your torso, above your clavicle, and down the spine. The amount also varies between individuals.<\/p>\n<p>While this type of fat burns calories, it\u2019s tricky to gain. It definitely doesn\u2019t involve downing pints of ice cream, unfortunately.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cResearchers have found that exposing yourself to cold temperatures can help build it up,\u201d says Goddard. But it\u2019s not quite as simple as going for a run on a cold morning in shorts \u2014 or standing in the freezer section debating ice cream flavors.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jci.org\/articles\/view\/68993\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Some studies<\/a>\u00a0have found protracted exposure to temperatures of 60 degrees or less can trigger its production.<\/p>\n<h2>3. Beige Fat<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-180090\" src=\"https:\/\/bodiblog.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/types-of-body-fat-600-beige.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\"\/><\/p>\n<p>When it comes to the adipose spectrum, beige fat occupies a kind of gray zone.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0092867412005958\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Research suggests<\/a>\u00a0that mice are able to convert white fat cells into what\u2019s known as beige fat, and that this \u201cbrowning\u201d of white fat cells\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/ncb3075\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">might also happen in humans<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Typically found in pea-size deposits near the collarbone and spine, beige fat is like brown fat in that it burns calories and produces heat. But also like brown fat, beige fat is a relatively recent discovery and much about it remains unknown, says Goddard.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bodi.com\/blog\/types-of-body-fat\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most of us think of fat (a.k.a. adipose tissue) as our body\u2019s kitchen cabinet \u2014 a storage system for excess calories that we can dip into if we find ourselves in a pinch, or on a long hike without trail mix. While that is partly true, there are different types of body fat that serve &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fitness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13972"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13972\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}