Subcutaneous Fat
The soft fat layer just under your skin, generally less harmful than deep visceral fat around the organs.
Plain English
Patient-Friendly Explanation
Subcutaneous fat is the soft layer of fat just under your skin that you can pinch. It is different from visceral fat, which sits deep inside around your organs. While too much of either is unhealthy, subcutaneous fat is generally less harmful than visceral fat.
Medical
Clinical Definition
Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) is the fat depot located beneath the dermis, accounting for roughly 80 to 90% of total body fat. It serves as an energy reservoir and endocrine organ that secretes adipokines. Compared with visceral adipose tissue, subcutaneous fat is metabolically more benign and is associated with lower cardiometabolic risk.
Key Insight
Why It Matters
Knowing the difference between subcutaneous and visceral fat helps you and your doctor set realistic goals, because the location of fat, not just the amount, determines health risk. Accord Medical Clinic's body composition analysis measures both so we can target the fat that matters most.
Sources
Reviewed against standard medical references.
Medically reviewed by
Family Physician & Registered Acupuncturist, Accord Medical Clinic. MBBS (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Acupuncture (Singapore College of TCM).
Last reviewed: August 2026
This page is general health education, not medical advice. Whether any treatment is appropriate for you is a decision made in consultation after assessment.
