Supporting the establishment of the "General Incorporated Association for the Study of Ectopic Fat."

What is ectopic fat?

Ectopic fat refers to fat that accumulates in places where it shouldn't normally be stored. Of the fat consumed through diet, the portion that isn't used for energy is first stored as subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. However, any excess fat that cannot be processed circulates throughout the body via the bloodstream and accumulates in organs such as the liver, muscles, heart, and pancreas. This is "ectopic fat." The troublesome thing about ectopic fat is that it's difficult to judge from appearance and is hard to detect in a typical health checkup.
Recent research has revealed that ectopic fat is one of the factors that cause decreased organ function and chronic inflammation. In addition to lifestyle-related diseases such as metabolic syndrome, hypertension, and diabetes, it has been suggested to be associated with various other diseases such as frailty, sarcopenia, infertility, depression, and dementia. On the other hand, public awareness is still insufficient, and there is a need to correctly understand ectopic fat and use this knowledge in daily health management.
These ectopic fat deposits are not just a problem for aging or seniors; they are a health issue that should be considered throughout one's life, from youth to middle age. It is important to understand them correctly from an early stage and use that understanding to prevent and improve the condition.

Quoted with some modifications from the website of the Ectopic Fat Research Society.​

Purpose of Establishing the Ectopic Fat Research Society *

In this era of 100-year lifespans, healthy aging requires scientific knowledge that allows us to detect physical changes from the pre-disease stage and translate that knowledge into prevention and behavioral change.
Ectopic fat refers to fat that accumulates in organs and tissues where fat is not normally stored. It is becoming clear that fat that cannot be stored as subcutaneous fat accumulates as visceral fat, and that its accumulation in the liver, muscles, around the heart, and pancreas contributes to the decline in function of these organs and chronic inflammation. On the other hand, related knowledge is scattered across medicine, nutrition, exercise science, and lifestyle science, and the information that reaches consumers is not sufficiently organized.
Furthermore, ectopic fat should be viewed not only as a health issue related to aging or senior citizens, but as a health challenge at every stage of life.
The Ectopic Fat Research Society views ectopic fat as a social health issue deeply related to people's well-being and longevity.
The aim is for researchers from various fields, including medicine, nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle sciences, to collaborate and create and disseminate scientific knowledge toward understanding and solving this issue. At the same time, the goal is to widely disseminate the knowledge gained to the medical, industrial, and social sectors, thereby expanding the understanding of ectopic fat from "common knowledge among researchers" to "common knowledge among society."
By expanding the options that lead to behavioral change, from prevention to improvement, we contribute to the realization of a society where everyone can age healthily and live life on their own terms.

*Quoted from the website of the Ectopic Fat Research Society.​

Overview of the Ectopic Fat Research Group

• Organization name: General Incorporated Association Ectopic Fat Research Society
• Established: June 25, 2026
• Representative Director: Ryuichiro Sato
• Board Members: Yoshihiro Ogawa, Takayoshi Suganami, Miyako Tanaka, Masayuki Hata, Masayuki Shimada, Soichiro Fukada

Thoughts on supporting the establishment of the research group

Our company started with the sale of gastrointestinal medicines and has been committed to supporting the health of consumers since its founding. In an era of increasingly Westernized diets, high-fat meals contributed to the strain on the digestive system, and in today's age of abundance, excessive fat accumulation is leading to various health problems, including lifestyle-related diseases.
Responding to these changes in society and lifestyles, our company has been developing oral medications to address various symptoms caused by fat, as well as foods for specified health uses and foods with functional claims that support maintaining health before illness develops. We have strived to provide a wide range of options to support consumers' health, from prevention to treatment.
Currently, excess fat, sometimes called ectopic fat—the "third type of fat" following subcutaneous and visceral fat—is increasingly being identified as potentially linked to a wide range of health issues, including not only cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, but also muscle dysfunction, frailty, and fertility problems.
Addressing these health challenges only after symptoms appear in senior years is insufficient. It is crucial to acquire accurate knowledge about ectopic fat from an early stage, be mindful of one's own physical condition, and maintain healthy lifestyle habits. Our company believes that addressing these issues from the pre-disease stage will lead to living a healthy life in one's own way for years to come, in other words, extending healthy life expectancy (longevity), and this is why we supported the establishment of this research group.
We believe that ectopic fat is an area with the potential to revitalize the market and create new health value in a broader range of themes, including sports and fitness, frailty and sarcopenia, and women's health.
By supporting the activities of this research group, we aim to create, disseminate, and implement scientific knowledge toward understanding and resolving ectopic fat, together with researchers from various fields such as medicine, nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle sciences, as well as participating companies.