What it is, why it rises, how to spot it, and what it means for your health.
👉 What is visceral fat?
Visceral fat = fat stored deep inside the abdomen around the organs (liver, pancreas, intestines).
It’s more metabolically active (pro-inflammatory) than the subcutaneous fat under the skin. This makes it a stronger driver of metabolic disease.
👉 Does it really increase in menopause?
Yes – and it NATURALLY increases.
The menopause transition shifts fat distribution toward the abdomen. The NATURAL changes to inflammation levels, insulin resistance and hormone regulation result in changes to visceral fat percentage
On average visceral fat can rise from ~5–8% of total body fat before menopause to 15–20% post-menopause.
👉 Why Visceral Fat Matters
Visceral fat isn’t just “extra weight.” It’s biologically active tissue that disrupts hormones, increases inflammation, and alters how your body handles blood sugar and fats.
With increased levels of visceral fat we are at a much higher risk to develop the following
1) Metabolic Syndrome:
- Waist-centered fat is the first marker of metabolic syndrome (MetS)
- MetS includes: high triglycerides, low HDL (“good” cholesterol), high blood pressure, and elevated fasting glucose.
- Postmenopausal women with higher visceral fat are significantly more likely to meet criteria.
2) Diabetes & Heart Disease:
- Visceral fat pumps out inflammatory cytokines that make cells resistant to insulin.
- This accelerates the path to type 2 diabetes.
- Combined with higher blood pressure and lipid changes, it’s a key driver of heart attacks and strokes in midlife women. If you attended our session with leading Cardiologist Dr Emily Lau you will know that visceral fat is one of the earliest warning signs of developing heart disease in women but unfortunately its ignored by many
3) Other Risks:
- Increases risk of fatty liver disease (MASLD/NAFLD).
- Linked to cognitive decline and dementia in long-term studies.
- Adds to joint stress, fatigue, and poor sleep, creating a cycle of worsening symptoms.
What you’ll usually feel/seeTypical visceral pattern = thicker waist/abdomen, relatively unchanged limbs, plus clusters of symptoms tied to insulin resistance and cortisol (poor sleep, mid-day crashes, cravings).
👉 What actually helps (high level)
MY team and I have been working with MANY women ON HOW to reduce visceral fat; these are just some of the protocols we see working best
- Eating ENOUGH food – around 85% of the women who come to us with visceral fat are either undereating, skipping meals or restricting food groups (like fats or carbs)
- Protein-anchored, fibre-rich meals to balance blood sugar levels. The vast majority of women worldwide are deficient in both
- Sleep + stress regulation (cortisol drives central fat). If you have attended any of the free masterclasses i do you will know that reducing cortisol is not just amount stress management but actually its more effective to STOP the cortisol increasing activities in menopause (like overloading caffeine, ignoring poor gut health, too much animal meat protein sources etc)
- Leaning towards a more anti inflammatory approach to your nutrition. We know a large driver of visceral fat is inflammation and we know when we lose estrogen inflammation naturally increases (which is the cause of many symptoms like skin shifts, joint pain, hot flashes, vaginal dryness etc)
