What is my visceral fat level?
Type your sex, age, waist, height, weight and your triglyceride and HDL cholesterol results. The visceral fat calculator works out the visceral adiposity index (VAI) and compares it with the age-specific cut-offs for visceral fat dysfunction. It is an estimate for information, not a diagnosis.
- Visceral adiposity index (VAI)
- 1.7
Your visceral adiposity index is 1.7: Absent visceral adipose dysfunction for your age.
- Visceral adipose dysfunction
- Absent
- Cut-off for your age
- 1.92
- BMI
- 26.6
Visceral adiposity index (VAI): 1.7. Your visceral adiposity index is 1.7: Absent visceral adipose dysfunction for your age.
This calculator gives general information only. It is not medical advice and does not replace a doctor or other health care provider. Talk with a professional about your results. Terms of use
How to calculate
Estimates visceral fat function with the visceral adiposity index (VAI) from waist, BMI, triglycerides and HDL cholesterol, by sex, and compares it with the age-specific cut-offs for visceral adipose dysfunction.
Example with the default inputs (Sex Male, Age 45, Waist 36 in, Height 5 ft 9 in, Weight 180 lb, Lab units mg/dL, Triglycerides (mg/dL) 150, HDL cholesterol (mg/dL) 50): Your visceral adiposity index is 1.7: Absent visceral adipose dysfunction for your age.
Method: Men: VAI = WC ÷ (39.68 + 1.88 × BMI) × TG ÷ 1.03 × 1.31 ÷ HDL; women: VAI = WC ÷ (36.58 + 1.89 × BMI) × TG ÷ 0.81 × 1.52 ÷ HDL (WC in cm, TG and HDL in mmol/L).
- Adults; the index was built in Caucasian adults in primary care and may fit other groups less well.
- Lab values from mg/dL to mmol/L: triglycerides × 0.01129, HDL cholesterol × 0.02586 (NHANES).
- The VAI is an indirect marker of visceral fat function, not a scan of visceral fat.
Worked examples
Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.
- Sex Male, Age 45, Waist 37.4 in, Height 5 ft 8.9 in, Weight 176.4 lb, Lab units mmol/L, Triglycerides (mmol/L) 1.03, HDL cholesterol (mmol/L) 1.31 gives Visceral adiposity index (VAI) 1.069938, Visceral adipose dysfunction Absent, Cut-off for your age 1.92.Source: Amato MC and others, Visceral Adiposity Index: a reliable indicator of visceral fat function associated with cardiometabolic risk, Diabetes Care 2010;33:920 (men: WC ÷ (39.68 + 1.88 × BMI) × TG ÷ 1.03 × 1.31 ÷ HDL; women: WC ÷ (36.58 + 1.89 × BMI) × TG ÷ 0.81 × 1.52 ÷ HDL), https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2845052/; Amato MC, Giordano C, Visceral adiposity index: an indicator of adipose tissue dysfunction, Int J Endocrinol 2014, Table 1 (age-specific cut-offs), https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4009335/
- Sex Female, Age 35, Waist 34.65 in, Height 5 ft 4.2 in, Weight 154.3 lb, Lab units mmol/L, Triglycerides (mmol/L) 1.7, HDL cholesterol (mmol/L) 1.1 gives Visceral adiposity index (VAI) 2.954677, Visceral adipose dysfunction Moderate.Source: Amato MC and others, Visceral Adiposity Index: a reliable indicator of visceral fat function associated with cardiometabolic risk, Diabetes Care 2010;33:920 (men: WC ÷ (39.68 + 1.88 × BMI) × TG ÷ 1.03 × 1.31 ÷ HDL; women: WC ÷ (36.58 + 1.89 × BMI) × TG ÷ 0.81 × 1.52 ÷ HDL), https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2845052/; Amato MC, Giordano C, Visceral adiposity index: an indicator of adipose tissue dysfunction, Int J Endocrinol 2014, Table 1 (age-specific cut-offs), https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4009335/
- Sex Male, Age 60, Waist 40 in, Height 5 ft 10 in, Weight 220 lb, Lab units mg/dL, Triglycerides (mg/dL) 250, HDL cholesterol (mg/dL) 35 gives Visceral adiposity index (VAI) 4.069313, Visceral adipose dysfunction Severe.Source: Amato MC and others, Visceral Adiposity Index: a reliable indicator of visceral fat function associated with cardiometabolic risk, Diabetes Care 2010;33:920 (men: WC ÷ (39.68 + 1.88 × BMI) × TG ÷ 1.03 × 1.31 ÷ HDL; women: WC ÷ (36.58 + 1.89 × BMI) × TG ÷ 0.81 × 1.52 ÷ HDL), https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2845052/; Amato MC, Giordano C, Visceral adiposity index: an indicator of adipose tissue dysfunction, Int J Endocrinol 2014, Table 1 (age-specific cut-offs), https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4009335/
How it works
Inputs: waist circumference (WC) in centimetres, BMI = weight (kg) ÷ height (m)², triglycerides (TG) and HDL cholesterol in mmol/L.
- Men: VAI = WC ÷ (39.68 + 1.88 × BMI) × (TG ÷ 1.03) × (1.31 ÷ HDL).
- Women: VAI = WC ÷ (36.58 + 1.89 × BMI) × (TG ÷ 0.81) × (1.52 ÷ HDL).
- Lab units. Results typed in mg/dL are converted as NHANES does: TG (mmol/L) = TG (mg/dL) × 0.01129; HDL (mmol/L) = HDL (mg/dL) × 0.02586.
- Visceral adipose dysfunction (Amato and Giordano 2014, Table 1), from the VAI as shown (rounded half up to 2 decimals), by age:
| Age | Absent | Mild | Moderate | Severe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 30 | ≤ 2.52 | 2.53 to 2.58 | 2.59 to 2.73 | > 2.73 |
| 30 to under 42 | ≤ 2.23 | 2.24 to 2.53 | 2.54 to 3.12 | > 3.12 |
| 42 to under 52 | ≤ 1.92 | 1.93 to 2.16 | 2.17 to 2.77 | > 2.77 |
| 52 to under 66 | ≤ 1.93 | 1.94 to 2.32 | 2.33 to 3.25 | > 3.25 |
| 66 and over | ≤ 2.00 | 2.01 to 2.41 | 2.42 to 3.17 | > 3.17 |
The published table lists 2.32 as both the top of mild and the start of moderate for ages 52 to under 66; this page counts 2.32 as mild, so moderate starts at 2.33, as in the other rows.
- Cut-off for your age = the top of the “Absent” column for your age.
Rules. Age 18 to 100; waist 40 to 250 cm; height 120 to 230 cm; weight 30 to 300 kg; triglycerides up to 3,000 mg/dL (35 mmol/L); HDL up to 200 mg/dL (5 mmol/L).
Exact arithmetic and output format. Each typed value is read as the exact decimal you typed, in its unit (40 in is exactly 101.6 cm). The index is computed exactly and rounded once, half up, to 2 decimals; BMI shows 1 decimal.
Assumptions
- Adults. The cut-offs come from a Caucasian Sicilian population in primary care.
- Fasting lipids. The VAI is a marker of risk, not a measurement of visceral fat.
Worked examples by hand
Man, 45, waist 95 cm, 175 cm, 80 kg, TG 1.03 and HDL 1.31 mmol/L. BMI = 80 ÷ 1.75² = 26.122. 39.68 + 1.88 × 26.122 = 88.790. VAI = 95 ÷ 88.790 × (1.03 ÷ 1.03) × (1.31 ÷ 1.31) = 1.070 (shown 1.07). Age 42 to under 52: ≤ 1.92, so absent; cut-off 1.92.
Woman, 35, waist 88 cm, 163 cm, 70 kg, TG 1.7 and HDL 1.1 mmol/L. BMI = 70 ÷ 1.63² = 26.346. 36.58 + 1.89 × 26.346 = 86.375. VAI = 88 ÷ 86.375 × (1.7 ÷ 0.81) × (1.52 ÷ 1.1) = 1.0188 × 2.0988 × 1.3818 = 2.955 (shown 2.95). Age 30 to under 42: 2.54 to 3.12, so moderate.
Man, 60, waist 40 in, 5 ft 10 in, 220 lb, TG 250 mg/dL, HDL 35 mg/dL. Waist = 101.6 cm. BMI = 99.790 kg ÷ 1.778² = 31.566. TG = 250 × 0.01129 = 2.8225 mmol/L; HDL = 35 × 0.02586 = 0.9051 mmol/L. 39.68 + 1.88 × 31.566 = 99.025. VAI = 101.6 ÷ 99.025 × (2.8225 ÷ 1.03) × (1.31 ÷ 0.9051) = 4.069 (shown 4.07). Age 52 to under 66: over 3.25, so severe.
Other questions people ask
What is visceral fat?
Visceral fat is the fat stored deep in the belly, around the liver, gut and other organs. More of it is linked with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, even in people whose weight looks normal.
What is the visceral adiposity index?
The visceral adiposity index (VAI) is a sex-specific formula from 2010 that combines waist, BMI, triglycerides and HDL cholesterol. It is set so that a healthy person of normal weight with normal fat distribution and normal lipids scores about 1. Higher values point to more visceral fat dysfunction.
How do I calculate my VAI?
For men, VAI = waist (cm) ÷ (39.68 + 1.88 × BMI) × triglycerides ÷ 1.03 × 1.31 ÷ HDL. For women, VAI = waist ÷ (36.58 + 1.89 × BMI) × triglycerides ÷ 0.81 × 1.52 ÷ HDL. Triglycerides and HDL are in mmol/L.
What is a normal VAI?
The cut-off for no dysfunction depends on age: 2.52 under 30, 2.23 from 30 to under 42, 1.92 from 42 to under 52, 1.93 from 52 to under 66, and 2.00 from 66. Values above it are graded mild, moderate or severe.
Can a calculator measure visceral fat?
No. Only a scan such as MRI, CT or DXA measures visceral fat directly. The VAI is an indirect marker built from measurements you can get at a check-up, so it gives an estimate of risk, not an amount of fat.
How can I reduce visceral fat?
Regular physical activity, weight loss if you carry extra weight, less alcohol and enough sleep all help. Your doctor can check your lipids and blood sugar over time.