{
  "id": "visceral-fat",
  "version": "e815587cb26a",
  "status": "published",
  "name": "Visceral Fat Calculator",
  "question": "What is my visceral fat level?",
  "summary": "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.",
  "category": "health",
  "subcategory": "body",
  "url": "https://www.acalculator.org/health/visceral-fat-calculator",
  "markdown": "https://www.acalculator.org/health/visceral-fat-calculator.md",
  "kind": "function",
  "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).",
  "assumptions": [
    "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."
  ],
  "inputs": {
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "sex": {
        "title": "Sex",
        "description": "Your sex, which picks the formula.",
        "type": "string",
        "enum": [
          "male",
          "female"
        ]
      },
      "age": {
        "title": "Age",
        "description": "Your age in years, which sets the cut-offs.",
        "type": "integer",
        "minimum": 18,
        "maximum": 100
      },
      "waist": {
        "title": "Waist",
        "description": "Waist circumference, measured midway between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "length",
        "minimum": 0.4,
        "maximum": 2.5
      },
      "height": {
        "title": "Height",
        "description": "Your height without shoes.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "length",
        "exclusiveMinimum": 1.2,
        "maximum": 2.3
      },
      "weight": {
        "title": "Weight",
        "description": "Your body weight.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "mass",
        "minimum": 30,
        "maximum": 300
      },
      "unit": {
        "title": "Lab units",
        "description": "The unit of your lipid results: mg/dL (United States) or mmol/L.",
        "type": "string",
        "enum": [
          "mgdl",
          "mmol"
        ]
      },
      "tg": {
        "title": "Triglycerides (mg/dL)",
        "description": "Fasting triglycerides in mg/dL.",
        "type": "number",
        "minimum": 0.01,
        "maximum": 3000
      },
      "hdl": {
        "title": "HDL cholesterol (mg/dL)",
        "description": "HDL cholesterol in mg/dL.",
        "type": "number",
        "minimum": 0.01,
        "maximum": 200
      },
      "tgMmol": {
        "title": "Triglycerides (mmol/L)",
        "description": "Fasting triglycerides in mmol/L.",
        "type": "number",
        "minimum": 0.01,
        "maximum": 35
      },
      "hdlMmol": {
        "title": "HDL cholesterol (mmol/L)",
        "description": "HDL cholesterol in mmol/L.",
        "type": "number",
        "minimum": 0.01,
        "maximum": 5
      }
    }
  },
  "outputs": {
    "vai": {
      "label": "Visceral adiposity index (VAI)",
      "description": "Waist and BMI term × triglyceride term × HDL term; 1 in healthy people of normal weight.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "level": {
      "label": "Visceral adipose dysfunction",
      "description": "Absent, mild, moderate or severe, from the age-specific cut-offs.",
      "format": "text"
    },
    "limit": {
      "label": "Cut-off for your age",
      "description": "The highest VAI with no dysfunction for your age group.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "bmi": {
      "label": "BMI",
      "description": "Weight (kg) ÷ height (m)².",
      "format": "number"
    }
  },
  "defaultAnswer": {
    "inputs": {
      "sex": "male",
      "age": 45,
      "waist": 0.9144,
      "weight": 81.6466266,
      "unit": "mgdl",
      "tg": 150,
      "hdl": 50,
      "tgMmol": 1.7,
      "hdlMmol": 1.3,
      "height": 1.7526
    },
    "outputs": {
      "vai": 1.6990059208308819,
      "level": "Absent",
      "limit": 1.92,
      "bmi": 26.581080515658197
    },
    "text": "Your visceral adiposity index is 1.7: Absent visceral adipose dysfunction for your age."
  },
  "examples": [
    {
      "given": {
        "sex": "male",
        "age": 45,
        "waist": 0.95,
        "height": 1.75,
        "weight": 80,
        "unit": "mmol",
        "tgMmol": 1.03,
        "hdlMmol": 1.31
      },
      "expect": {
        "vai": 1.069937849367461,
        "level": "Absent",
        "limit": 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/; hand calculation in content.mdx: BMI 26.122; 95 ÷ (39.68 + 49.110) = 1.070"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "sex": "female",
        "age": 35,
        "waist": 0.88,
        "height": 1.63,
        "weight": 70,
        "unit": "mmol",
        "tgMmol": 1.7,
        "hdlMmol": 1.1
      },
      "expect": {
        "vai": 2.9546772751957153,
        "level": "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/; hand calculation in content.mdx: BMI 26.346; 88 ÷ 86.375 = 1.0188; × (1.7 ÷ 0.81) × (1.52 ÷ 1.1) = 2.955, moderate (2.54 to 3.12) at 30 to 42"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "sex": "male",
        "age": 60,
        "waist": 1.016,
        "height": 1.778,
        "weight": 99.79032140000001,
        "unit": "mgdl",
        "tg": 250,
        "hdl": 35
      },
      "expect": {
        "vai": 4.069313400972245,
        "level": "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/; NHANES factors 0.01129 and 0.02586; hand calculation in content.mdx: BMI 31.566; TG 2.8225, HDL 0.9051 mmol/L; VAI 4.069, severe (over 3.25) at 52 to 66"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    "Amato MC, Giordano C, Galia M, and others. Visceral Adiposity Index: a reliable indicator of visceral fat function associated with cardiometabolic risk. Diabetes Care. 2010;33(4):920-922, retrieved 2026-10-05. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2845052/",
    "Amato MC, Giordano C. Visceral adiposity index: an indicator of adipose tissue dysfunction. International Journal of Endocrinology. 2014;2014:730827, Table 1, retrieved 2026-10-05. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4009335/",
    "Amato MC, Giordano C, Pitrone M, Galluzzo A. Cut-off points of the visceral adiposity index (VAI) identifying a visceral adipose dysfunction associated with cardiometabolic risk in a Caucasian Sicilian population. Lipids in Health and Disease. 2011;10:183, retrieved 2026-10-05. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3224548/",
    "Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NHANES 2017–March 2020 Cholesterol, LDL and Triglycerides documentation: triglycerides mg/dL × 0.01129 = mmol/L; cholesterol mg/dL × 0.02586 = mmol/L, retrieved 2026-10-05. https://wwwn.cdc.gov/Nchs/Data/Nhanes/Public/2017/DataFiles/P_TRIGLY.htm"
  ],
  "related": [
    "waist-to-height-ratio",
    "body-fat",
    "bmi"
  ],
  "changelog": []
}