Show Notes
There's a hidden fat that matters more for your health than your weight. This is visceral fat: it wraps around your organs, raises your risk of heart disease and cancer, and builds up even in people who look slim and healthy.
In today’s episode, Professor Jimmy Bell, a world-leading expert in measuring visceral fat, explains how we can shrink this dangerous belly fat in just 12 weeks.
Jimmy explores why two people can weigh exactly the same and carry completely different amounts of this hidden fat, what it is, where it hides and why it matters.
By the end, you'll have a completely new understanding of body fat, and what it really means for your long-term health.
If your weight has stayed exactly the same for years, what do you think is happening underneath it?
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Timecodes
Intro
The DEXA scan result that didn't match how thin he looked
Why your body composition can get worse even while your weight stays the same
What does it actually mean to be "skinny fat"?
The real reason some people end up "skinny fat"
Why people carrying more fat might actually be happier
How visceral fat sends inflammatory signals through your body
Why having almost no body fat can also make you unhealthy
Could a supermodel have more visceral fat than a sumo wrestler?
Why your body stores visceral fat around your organs on purpose
Why visceral fat is the first fat to disappear when you diet
How your diet directly reshapes the fat in your body
How long it actually takes to change your body fat
Does Ozempic actually get rid of visceral fat?
Why dieting alone can quietly cost you muscle
What does yo-yo dieting actually do to your body?
The pattern he sees again and again in long-term dieters
Why being thin is no guarantee you don't have visceral fat
Why diet alone won't get rid of visceral fat
The exact mechanism that makes exercise target visceral fat first
Why inflammation and visceral fat together wreck your metabolism
Why any amount of alcohol is bad news for visceral fat
How fast visceral fat can actually shrink (as little as 12 weeks)
Why menopause redistributes fat to your belly
Resistance training: the single best thing for visceral fat
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Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks
Mentioned in today's episode
Fatcell turnover in humans, Nature (2008)
New study investigates ‘optimal’ diets for healthy aging
Studyof visceral, subcutaneous, liver and pancreas fat changes after 12 weeks, Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice (2023)
MRIassessment of adipose tissue fatty acid composition, Obesity (2024)
Phenotyping,Body Composition, and Precision Nutrition (2024)
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Episode transcripts are available here.