Two Types of Fat: Subcutaneous and Visceral Fat 1 FAT.... It’s Not All That: Two Main Types of Fat in Our Bodies, Visceral and Subcutaneous Fat

Sixty-six % of American adults are considered to be overweight or obese. Much research is currently being conducted to learn about the different types of adiposity, the biochemical processes of adipocytes, or fat cells, the hormones secreted by these cells, health risks associated with obesity, and its contributing factors. The report below will outline how to classify obesity, the hormones secreted by fat cells (eptin, resistin, and adiponectin) and how they work in the body, the two types of fat: visceral, or intraabdominal fat and subcutaneous fat, inflammation and health conditions, studies linking genetics to obesity, and the overall contributing factors to gaining excessive weight. Introduction According to the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [NHANES], an estimated 66% of adults, aged 20-74, in the United States can be classified as overweight or obese (Ogden, C., Carroll, M., Curtin, L., McDowell, M., Tabak, C., & Flegal, K., 2006). In addition, 17% of children ages 6-19 are considered to be overweight. Obesity can be defined as an excess of body fat where the size and number of adipocytes, or fat cells, increases, which typically is associated with considerable health risks (Myers, 2004). This report will define and outline obesity and its correlation to body fat content, the two main types of body fat, visceral and subcutaneous fat, and the risks associated with each. In addition, it will discuss the hormones fat cells secrete in the human body. Defining Obesity In order to pronounce that an individual is overweight obese, health professionals use height and weight measurements to calculate a person’s body mass index [BMI]. BMI can be described as a surrogate indicator of an individual’s fat content. Although it does not measure fat directly, BMI is directly related to body fat (CDC, 2007a). BMI is defined as weight (kg)/ height (m)2 (Myers, 2004). To classify adult individuals as overweight they must have a BMI range of 25.0 kg/m2 to 29.9 kg/m2, while an obese person is defined as having a BMI of 30.0 kg/m2 or greater (CDC, 2007a). Although this method is a useful tool for determining overweight and obese patients, it may not be the most accurate or scientific. Some research suggests that a more precise, non-invasive and faster instrument for measuring a person’s fat content is through single-slice magnetic Deleted: 66 Deleted: components of a fat cell, how the