Chris:
My father is a naturally big guy who could definitely stand to lose a few pounds. He is 5-feet-11-inches tall and weights 270 pounds. The funny thing is that although his belly is rather large, it is hard as a rock.

Why is this? Is it possible the belly is mostly muscle with fat underneath? Could this be his natural shape, or do you think there is something he could do to lose his belly?

It’s also important to mention that he has high blood pressure and has been advised to lose weight by his family doctor.
- Phil

Phil:
Your description of dear old Dad leads me to believe he has a lot of visceral belly fat. Allow me to explain.

There are two basic kinds of fat that people need to be concerned with: subcutaneous fat and visceral fat.

Subcutaneous fat is on the surface of your body between your skin and muscle and can be pinched with your index finger and thumb.

This type of fat is the least of your worries, because it can be lost fairly easily with the addition of a good workout regimen and a sensible diet.

It’s the reason most people go to the gym.

Visceral fat is fat that deposits itself deep inside the body around organs.

It often attaches itself inside the belly, giving the appearance of a rock-hard gut that’s shaped like a keg of beer. In fact, it was probably a keg of beer that helped it get its distorted shape in the first place.

Visceral fat is much more dangerous than subcutaneous fat.

Studies have shown that people with visceral fat are much more likely to suffer from heart disease, diabetes, stroke and many other serious health problems.

It’s also much more difficult to lose this type of fat because it embeds itself deep in the body rather than on the surface.

Most people who have visceral fat are very inactive and spend little to no time exercising. They are also known to eat a diet very high in fat. Drinking alcohol and smoking are also very common habits for people who carry high amounts of this dangerous type of fat.

The good news is visceral fat can be reduced through a change of lifestyle. Adding a moderate exercise program and eating a healthier diet can help. Cutting back on drinking alcohol and smoking will also make a big difference.

If your father seems to fit in the above criteria, you may want to share this article with him before it is too late. Although I can’t be sure whether he suffers from visceral body fat, it’s obviously worth looking into.