Research
Macro partitioning
Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a stronger predictor of mortality risk than overall BMI or subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), while SAT may be associated with lower mortality risk.
Do not rely on BMI alone to assess your health risk. Focus on reducing visceral fat (belly fat) through exercise and diet, as it is a stronger predictor of mortality than overall weight. Subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin) may be less harmful or even protective.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
increased visceral adiposity is a stronger indicator of mortality risk than BMI, whereas increased SAT tissue is associated with lower mortality risk
Why this rating
Supported by multiple cited studies showing differential mortality risks.
Source
Obesity and lifespan, a complex tango
Alberto Díaz‐Ruiz et al. · Science Translational Medicine · 2023
DOI 10.1126/scitranslmed.adh1175
narrative_reviewCited 11×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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