People often focus on losing weight to feel healthier and look better, but did you know that the type of weight you lose matters? Specifically, the kind of fat you carry and where it's located in your body can play a crucial role in maintaining long-term weight management, optimizing body composition, and supporting metabolic health.
What are the different types of fat?
-
Visceral fat, known to many as stubborn abdominal fat, is stored around the abdomen and organs, making it particularly dangerous to long-term health. Because it’s metabolically active and located near vital organs, it can disrupt organ function and impair metabolic processes, contributing to inflammation, lipotoxicity, and hormone imbalances. Visceral fat is clinically linked to several serious metabolic health conditions, such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
- Subcutaneous fat is stored just beneath the skin, usually around the hips, thighs, and upper arms and is generally considered harmless.
While being overweight or obese puts you at a higher risk for developing serious health conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and metabolic syndrome, it’s important to understand that the type of weight you lose makes a difference.
The World Health Organization reports that at least 1 in 8 people is living with obesity, evidenced in the growing interest for pharmaceutical solutions like GLP-1s (Ozempic and Wegovy, for example). However, despite being effective for losing overall body weight, these “quick-fix” options usually come with problematic side effects, including loss of muscle mass (more on this below), as well as high recurring costs and strict adherence requirements that make them a less viable long-term solution. The good news is that there’s another approach that focuses on long-term weight management and overall metabolic health: “weight care,” rather than simply “weight loss.”
Why focusing on “weight care” matters
Weight care targets visceral fat while protecting muscle mass, a driving factor for long-term weight management and optimal metabolic health.
“weight care” strategies specifically target visceral fat while protecting muscle mass.
How the 5-Day FMD supports sustainable weight care
The Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) offers a scientifically designed approach to weight care, specifically targeting visceral fat without the typical muscle loss associated with traditional fasting or dieting, a critical element in maintaining both long-term weight management and metabolic health.
Results from clinical studies* show that cycles of FMD can lead to sustainable post-fast weight loss even after returning to normal eating patterns, reductions in waist circumference and BMI, and support for healthy metabolic markers, offering an effective and sustainable approach to weight care requiring only 15 days yearly (three initial consecutive 5-day monthly cycles, followed by three cycles quarterly).
The Longevity Program includes medically supervised programs designed to help manage, improve, and potentially reverse chronic metabolic conditions like type 2 diabetes, obesity, and prediabetes. Learn more at https://prolonlife.com/products/the-longevity-program.
Studies:
-
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6816332/
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-45260-9
Sources:
- BMC. “Abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome: exercise as medicine?” Website.
- Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM). “Six-Month Periodic Fasting in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Diabetic Nephropathy: A Proof-of-Concept Study.” Website.
- NIH. National Institute Of Diabetes And Digestive And Kidney Diseases. “Health Risks of Overweight & Obesity.” Website.
- National Library Of Medicine. National Center For Biotechnology Information. “Fasting-Mimicking-Diet does not reduce skeletal muscle function in healthy young adults: a randomized control trial.” Website.
- National Library Of Medicine. National Center For Biotechnology Information. “Increasing muscle mass to improve metabolism.” Website.
- National Library Of Medicine. National Center For Biotechnology Information. “Obesity.” Website.
- National Library Of Medicine. National Center For Biotechnology Information. “Role of Skeletal Muscle in Insulin Resistance and Glucose Uptake.” Website.
- National Library Of Medicine. National Center For Biotechnology Information. “Regulation of Muscle Mass and Function: Effects of Aging and Hormones.” Website.
- World Health Organization. “Obesity And Overweight.” Website.


