A diet pioneered by the late Dr Michael Molsey could help cut a particularly dangerous type of body fat which can increase the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and dementia. Visceral fat, also known as toxic fat, sits on and around your vital organs.
It can contribute to metabolic syndrome, which causes health issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. A waist circumference of 80cm or more for females and 94 cm or more for males could mean that you have too much visceral fat.
Despite his sad passing in the summer of 2024, Dr Mosley’s diet and exercise plans remain hugely popular and influential. He helped pioneer the Fast 800, which combined eating a Mediterranean diet with intermittent fasting and consuming 800 calories a day.
On its Instagram page, the Fast 800 said: “Visceral fat: The fat you should be worried about. When it comes to fat, it’s not all equal; It is important to have fat in our bodies to function properly and safely, but there’s one type that, if excessive, can have extremely serious consequences: visceral fat.
“This is the fat typically labelled ‘the spare tyre’, which sits around the abdomen. If left to build up, it can contribute to metabolic syndrome, which can increase risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and dementia.”
Everyone has visceral fat and, in low quantities it can be healthy, WebMD claims: “This fat can protect your internal organs. Sometimes it’s called “active fat” because it affects the way your body functions. But too much visceral fat isn’t good for you. It comes with more risk for health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
“While this type of fat might go along with having a bigger belly you can see on the outside, you can’t see visceral fat. It’s also possible you could have a flat stomach and little fat you can see and still have visceral fat inside you. But usually the amount of visceral fat you have will go up along with your other body fat.
“Researchers suspect that visceral fat makes more of certain proteins that inflame your body’s tissues and organs and narrow your blood vessels. That can make your blood pressure go up and cause other problems.”
How to get rid of it
Every bit of fat you lose, whether it is through exercise or healthy eating, means you will lose some visceral fat. The Fast 800 states: “A low-carb diet has been scientifically recognised to be far more effective than a low-fat diet in reducing visceral fat.
“A 2013 study put the two diets side by side over a period of eight weeks, taking 69 overweight participants and placing them on either a low carb or a low fat diet. After eight weeks of intervention, those following a low carb diet were found to have lost an astounding 10 per cent more visceral fat than the counterpart, low fat dieters.”
It is also advised that you cut your intake of sugar, but increase your levels of protein – around 60-70g of good quality protein each day – and potentially experiment with time-restricted eating.
Exercise can also help. High-intensity interval training – known as HIIT – specifically targets visceral fat by increasing the number of chemical receptors in our abdominal fat, which helps to reduce the number of fat stores in and around our organs. It has the potential to reverse insulin resistance, in turn reducing hunger, tiredness and giving you a higher chance of losing weight.
The NHS advises that adults aged 19-64 should do some type of physical activity every day. Exercising just once or twice a week can reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke.
You should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week. People are also encouraged to do strength training on all the major muscle groups, including legs, chest, and arms.