Healthy Looks Great on You

The Difference Between Belly Fat and Visceral Fat


Listen Later

You can pinch belly fat. You can see it in the mirror. But the fat that's actually putting your health at risk is invisible. And that changes everything.

In this episode, Dr. Vickie breaks down the difference between subcutaneous fat (the kind you can see and pinch) and visceral fat (the dangerous kind that wraps around your organs and drives chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes). And she shares a surprising research finding that just might change how you feel about your health journey.

Here's what you'll learn:

  • Why belly fat and visceral fat are completely different and why that distinction matters for your health
  • How menopause shifts where fat lands in your body and why belly fat becomes harder to manage
  • How to measure visceral fat without an MRI (including the impedance scale Dr. Vickie uses herself)
  • Why the number on the scale can be misleading and what to track instead
  • The encouraging truth about lifestyle changes and visceral fat (hint: good things are happening even when you can't see them)
  • New research from Harvard showing that a 10% reduction in visceral fat leads to a 28% decreased risk of type 2 diabetes over 10 years and the results hold even if you gain the weight back
  • Why your gut microbiome is pulling the levers on your metabolic health, appetite, and insulin
  • How cortisol and poor sleep contribute to visceral fat accumulation
  • Practical, realistic lifestyle tips that don't require perfection, just progress
  • Dr. Vickie also shares a personal story about her own impedance scale results and why the number on the scale was telling the wrong story and she gives a shoutout to Dr. Glaucomflecken's hilarious drive-through MRI episode.

    Referenced in this episode:

    • The CENTRAL Study
    • Research by Dr. Iris Shai, Professor of Nutrition at Harvard (published June 2026)
    • Dr. Glaucomflecken's drive-through MRI episode 
    • Hume Impendance scale*
    • The Healthy Looks Great on You LAB
    • *Affiliate link

       

      The information in this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always follow up with your physician.

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store

      Healthy Looks Great on YouBy Dr. Vickie

      • 5
      • 5
      • 5
      • 5
      • 5

      5

      27 ratings


      More shows like Healthy Looks Great on You

      View all
      The Briefing with Albert Mohler by R. Albert Mohler, Jr.

      The Briefing with Albert Mohler

      8,641 Listeners

      Ask Pastor John by Desiring God

      Ask Pastor John

      3,939 Listeners

      Pioneering Today Podcast - Homesteading in a Modern World by Melissa K Norris

      Pioneering Today Podcast - Homesteading in a Modern World

      974 Listeners

      MARGARET ROACH A WAY TO GARDEN by Margaret Roach

      MARGARET ROACH A WAY TO GARDEN

      700 Listeners

      The Beginner's Garden with Jill McSheehy by Jill McSheehy

      The Beginner's Garden with Jill McSheehy

      805 Listeners

      Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee by Dr Rangan Chatterjee: GP & Author

      Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

      3,767 Listeners

      Everything Happens with Kate Bowler by Everything Happens Studios

      Everything Happens with Kate Bowler

      5,067 Listeners

      Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey by Blaze Podcast Network

      Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey

      21,184 Listeners

      On Purpose with Jay Shetty by Jay Shetty

      On Purpose with Jay Shetty

      27,775 Listeners

      The Jennie Allen Podcast by Jennie Allen

      The Jennie Allen Podcast

      6,630 Listeners

      She Reads Truth Podcast by She Reads Truth

      She Reads Truth Podcast

      2,819 Listeners

      ZOE Science & Nutrition by ZOE

      ZOE Science & Nutrition

      2,040 Listeners

      The Mel Robbins Podcast by Mel Robbins

      The Mel Robbins Podcast

      19,524 Listeners

      Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus by Lemonada Media

      Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus

      11,157 Listeners

      The Jefferson Fisher Podcast by Civility Media

      The Jefferson Fisher Podcast

      8,481 Listeners