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Are love handles subcutaneous or visceral fat?

Author

Sarah Smith

Published Jan 07, 2026

As seen above, love handles can be considered subcutaneous fat, however, an expanding waistline (love handles included) is a sign of visceral fat (12). To know if your love handles are a sign of visceral fat, just measure yourself, 35 inches or more in women and 40 inches or more in men is a clear sign of visceral fat.

What type of fat are love handles?

Body fat comes in different types. Subcutaneous fat is the most noticeable because it is just under the skin. "Love handles" on men and "saddlebags" on women are examples. Subcutaneous fat accumulates slowly and is difficult to get rid of.

Is visceral fat the same as love handles?

Love handles, the pinchable fat on both sides of your stomach that leads to a “muffin top” appearance, are especially stubborn. They do not respond as quickly to diet and exercise changes as the more dangerous visceral fat that is deep within your abdomen and leads to more of a “potbelly” appearance.

How do I know if my fat is subcutaneous or visceral?

In most people, about 90% of body fat is subcutaneous, the kind that lies in a layer just beneath the skin. If you poke your belly, the fat that feels soft is subcutaneous fat. The remaining 10% — called visceral or intra-abdominal fat — lies out of reach, beneath the firm abdominal wall.

Why is visceral fat called love handles?

It refers to the excess fat deposits at the lower midsection of the body. When small pockets of fat deposit above the hip bone and on either side of the waist, they are called love handles. They also go by the name of muffin tops. This is due to its resemblance to puffed-up muffins.

34 related questions found

Are love handles and muffin tops the same?

Love handle definition

It refers to any weight that may have accumulated around the sides of an individual's waist. This weight may also be visible extending over the edge of their pants or skirt. “Muffin top” is another term people may use to describe body fat that extends above the edge of their waistline.

What muscle is under love handles?

Love handles lie on top of the obliques, which are a very specific group of abdominal muscles.

Which is harder to lose visceral or subcutaneous fat?

When excess visceral fat is burned, the body then begins tackling excess subcutaneous fat. Unfortunately, subcutaneous fat is harder to lose. Subcutaneous fat is more visible, but it takes more effort to lose because of the function it serves in your body.

Is subcutaneous fat white or brown?

There are two main types of fat cells. White fat cells are found in they body's connective tissues, usually beneath the skin (subcutaneous fat) and in the abdominal cavity (visceral fat).

Can you have visceral fat without subcutaneous fat?

Even if you're thin, you can still have visceral fat around the abdominal region—being “skinny” doesn't necessarily mean you're healthy. There's no sure-fire way to tell visceral from subcutaneous fat short of an expensive CT scan, but it's important for you to get a rough idea of what your visceral stores are.

Are love handles back fat?

Love handles can be a side effect of excess body fat, especially fat in the area of your hips and lower abdomen. Increased activity and healthier eating can contribute to shrinking love handles as part of overall fat loss, but it's important to remember that this can also take some time.

Why do I gain weight in love handles?

"For men, love handles are hard to lose because most of their fat cells are located in this area," explains personal trainer and nutritionist, Jim White, RD. Women's bodies like to deposit fat into the hip and thigh area, too, which creates the illusion of love handles, says Leah Kaufman, MS, RD, CDN.

Why are love handles so called?

The name “love handles” comes because an individual's partner or loved one will often embrace them around the hips, which is where these excess fat and skin pockets occur.

What are love handles called?

Love handles are another name for the excess fat that sits at the sides of the waist and hangs over the top of pants. Also known as a muffin top, this fat can be a challenge to lose.

Are hip dips love handles?

"Love handles," also known as "muffin top," refers to excess fat that accumulates on the sides of one's abdomen. They differ from hip dips in that they are located much higher on the body, settling around a person's waistline.

Are love handles genetic?

Are love handles genetic? Partially. As with most things related to your body, there's a blend of your genetic predisposition to certain fat-storage sites, as well as your lifestyle decisions around what you eat, how much you exercise and your stress levels.

Why is my subcutaneous fat high?

Aside from genetics, people typically have greater amounts of subcutaneous fat if they: eat more calories than they burn. are sedentary. have little muscle mass.

What causes visceral fat vs subcutaneous fat?

Everyone has some subcutaneous fat, but lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise, as well as genetics, affect the amount of subcutaneous fat each person develops. People are more likely to accumulate both visceral and subcutaneous fat when: They are sedentary, or spend a lot of time sitting.

What color is visceral fat?

Visceral fat, also known as “belly fat,” is the white fat that's stored in your abdomen and around all of your major organs, such as the liver, kidneys, pancreas, intestines, and heart. High visceral fat levels can increase your risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, artery disease, and some cancers.

What are the 11 foods that fight visceral fat?

<p>10 Foods That Help Fight Belly Fat</p>

  • Dark Chocolate. We all need a sweet fix from time to time. ...
  • Blueberries. While most fruits are good for our overall health, there's one that takes the cake when it comes to burning belly fat – blueberries! ...
  • Avocado. ...
  • Oatmeal. ...
  • Leafy Greens. ...
  • Nuts. ...
  • Fish. ...
  • Peanut Butter.

Is jiggly fat easier to lose?

As per a study, almost 90 percent of body fat in most people is soft and the remaining 10 percent if hard fat. This type of fat is located just below your skin and keeps you warm and is a source of energy for your body. They are not as harmful as hard belly fat and are considerably easy to lose.

Which part of the body is the hardest to lose fat?

As against areas such as legs, face and arms, our stomach and abdominal regions possess beta cells that makes it difficult to reduce the fats easily and lose weight in these areas. However, as per research, belly fat is the most difficult to lose as the fat there is so much harder to break down.

Do squats help reduce love handles?

"For love handles, you have to work your legs. They're the biggest muscle group in your body and they use the most amount of energy. They're going to strip fat quicker than any plank. You need to do five sets of squats a day, increasing your weights daily.

Do push ups get rid of love handles?

“Dynamic exercises, like spiderman push-ups and side planks with a reach through, help with your love handles by building muscle. A lot of times we can be neglectful of our side bodies,” Marizu says. Perform each move for 30 seconds and then take a 30-second break for as many rounds as possible.