What if your biggest health threat wasn’t visible on the outside?

In this powerful episode of The Healthy Returns Podcast, host Sharon Polsky sits down with Dr. Jason Chiriano, a former vascular surgeon turned functional medicine leader at Viva Life Healing Centers, to tackle one of the most underestimated dangers to long-term health: visceral fat.

What Is Visceral Fat and Why Should You Care?

Unlike subcutaneous fat (the kind you can pinch), visceral fat lives deep in the abdominal cavity, wrapping around your organs. It’s linked to increased risk for:

  • Type 2 diabetes

  • Cardiovascular disease

  • Alzheimer’s and dementia

  • Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

  • Certain cancers

“Sometimes patients haven’t lost much weight, but their visceral fat drops significantly and that’s a huge victory,” says Dr. Chiriano.

3 Key Takeaways from the Episode:
1. Visceral Fat is the Real Threat

Even as little as 4 pounds of excess visceral fat can trigger serious metabolic dysfunction. And most people don’t even know they have it because it doesn’t always correlate with body weight.

2. Early Detection Leads to Better Outcomes

Tools like the Evolt 360 use BIA (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis) technology to track visceral fat safely, consistently, and non-invasively, long before disease takes root.

3. It’s Never Too Late to Make a Change

Dr. Chiriano shares his own story of reversing poor health and embracing a new path and now he helps thousands do the same. His mantra: “You either pay for your health now, or you pay for it later.”

Why This Matters

Traditional metrics like weight and BMI are incomplete. Body composition scans that include visceral fat tracking provide the critical insights needed to prevent, reverse, and personalize care.

Watch the full episode here.