Clinically reviewed by Associate Professor Christopher O’Donnell, Nurse Practitioner, FACN · Founder and Clinical Director · AHPRA NMW0001453715 · Last reviewed
Fat under the chin (submental fat) and around the neck mostly reflects your overall body fat, shaped by your genes, age-related skin changes and posture. You can’t target the neck on its own, but steady fat loss across the whole body usually reduces it over time. Neck size matters for health too, because a thick neck is a recognised risk factor for obstructive sleep apnoea.
This guide is for anyone bothered by neck fat or a double chin. It explains what causes it, why chin exercises won’t remove it, what does reduce it, and when a fuller neck is worth a check with a GP or nurse practitioner.
What causes a double chin and neck fat?
Several things usually combine, and only some of them are fat.
- Overall body fat. The face and neck share in general weight gain and loss. When total body fat rises, excess fat under the chin is often one of the first things people notice.
- Genetics. Where your body stores fat is partly inherited. That is why some people carry a fuller chin at a healthy weight while others carry very little.
- Ageing skin and muscle. Skin loses elasticity with age, and the thin sheet of muscle at the front of the neck slackens and loses tone. The same amount of fat can look fuller, and some of what looks like fat is loose or sagging neck skin.
- Posture. Poor posture, such as holding your head forward over a phone or laptop, folds the soft tissue under the jaw and makes it look larger. Posture changes how the area looks, not how much fat is there.
- Fluid. A salty (high-sodium) meal, alcohol or a short night can leave the face and neck puffier for a day or so. This is fluid rather than fat, and it settles on its own.
Do double chin exercises remove neck fat?
Working one muscle group doesn’t burn the fat sitting over it, an idea often called spot reduction. In a six-week trial, people who did abdominal exercises five days a week improved their muscular endurance but had no reduction in abdominal fat compared with people who didn’t exercise.
Another study trained one leg intensively for 12 weeks. Total body fat fell, but the loss showed up in the arms and trunk rather than the trained leg.
The same applies to the neck. Chin lifts, jaw exercises and facial exercises may strengthen the jaw and neck muscles or help posture, but there is no good evidence that they remove fat under the chin.
How to get rid of neck fat and a double chin naturally
Neck fat comes down the same way as fat anywhere else: by using a little more energy than you take in (an energy deficit) over weeks and months. Fat is drawn from fat cells across the body. You can’t choose the order, and for some people the chin is one of the last places to change.
Practical steps that help:
- Aim for steady loss rather than rapid loss. Gradual change is easier to maintain, and it is the overall trend that eventually shows in the face and neck.
- Eat a balanced diet built around vegetables, legumes, wholegrains and a serve of protein. These foods help you feel full on fewer kilojoules.
- Cut back on alcohol and very salty foods. They add kilojoules and can add puffiness.
- Include strength training. Keeping muscle while you lose fat supports your energy use and body composition. See why muscle matters more than the scale.
- Set up your screens at eye level. It won’t burn fat, but better posture can change how the area under your jaw looks.
A tape measure can show progress the mirror misses. Measure your neck just below the voice box every few weeks, alongside your waist measurement, at the same time of day.
Some people consider cosmetic procedures aimed at fat under the chin. That is a separate decision to discuss with an appropriately qualified practitioner, and it doesn’t change the health risks linked to overall body fat.
Hormonal and medical causes of a fuller neck
Most neck fat reflects overall body fat. A few hormonal and medical conditions change where fat is stored, or cause swelling that can look like fat. Some are more relevant to women.
- Midlife and menopause. Weight gain and more fat around the middle are common in midlife. Age and lifestyle drive this more than menopause itself, but changing hormones can influence where fat is stored, so some women notice their shape changing through the middle and upper body. See menopause and weight change.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Higher insulin and androgen levels are linked with more central fat. Darkened, velvety skin in the neck folds can be a sign of insulin resistance and is worth mentioning to your GP or nurse practitioner. See PCOS and weight.
- An underactive thyroid. This can cause weight gain and a puffy face. A visible swelling at the front of the neck is more likely to be an enlarged thyroid (goitre) than fat, and it needs checking.
- Cushing’s syndrome. This uncommon condition is caused by too much of the hormone cortisol. It can produce a fatty pad between the shoulders at the back of the neck, a rounder face and weight gain around the middle, often with skin changes such as easy bruising or slow-healing wounds. Taking steroid medicines for a long time is one cause, so don’t stop a prescribed medicine on your own; talk to your prescriber.
If fat at the back of your neck has appeared quickly, or comes with any of the other signs above, see a GP or nurse practitioner rather than trying to diet it away.
Is neck fat bad for your health? The sleep apnoea link
A thick neck is one of the recognised risk factors for obstructive sleep apnoea, a condition where the airway partly or completely blocks during sleep. Carrying excess weight, being male or post-menopausal, a family history and drinking alcohol also raise the risk.
Signs worth noticing include loud snoring, pauses in breathing that a partner notices, waking unrefreshed and daytime sleepiness. For many people with sleep apnoea, losing weight improves it, and for some it resolves. Read more about sleep apnoea and weight.
When to seek review
Most fullness under the chin is harmless, but some changes deserve a check rather than an assumption that they are fat.
- Loud snoring with breathing pauses, or daytime sleepiness, particularly if you drive
- A lump or swelling at the base of the neck, which can be an enlarged thyroid gland (goitre)
- Swollen lymph nodes that last longer than two weeks or keep growing, or come with fever, night sweats or unexplained weight loss
- Any neck swelling that is firm, on one side only, or appears quickly
A GP or nurse practitioner can examine the neck area and work out whether further tests are needed. Our nurse practitioners can also assess your overall health and help you plan steady, sustainable fat loss. Get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
Can you target chin fat or neck fat on its own?
No. Fat loss happens across the whole body, and exercising one area doesn’t selectively burn the fat over it.
Do chin and neck exercises get rid of a double chin?
They may improve muscle tone and posture, which can change how the area looks. They don’t remove the fat itself.
Does chewing gum help reduce a double chin?
No. Chewing gum works the jaw muscles, but like other jaw exercises, there is no good evidence that it removes fat under the chin.
Does running get rid of a double chin?
Not on its own. Running, like other regular exercise, uses energy and can contribute to overall fat loss, but it can’t target fat under the chin.
Can hormones cause neck fat?
They can play a part. Menopause, PCOS and an underactive thyroid can change where fat is stored or make the face and neck look fuller. Rapidly appearing fat at the back of the neck can be a sign of excess cortisol and should be checked.
Why do I have a double chin when I’m not overweight?
Genetics, the shape of your jaw and chin, posture and age-related loss of skin elasticity can all create fullness under the chin at a healthy weight.
Does neck fat go away with weight loss?
It usually reduces as overall body fat comes down, because the face and neck share in general weight loss. How much changes, and when, varies from person to person.
What causes neck fat in women?
Usually the same things as in men: overall body fat, genes, ageing skin and posture. In midlife, changing hormones can influence where fat is stored, and PCOS is linked with more central fat, so a change in shape is worth raising with a GP or nurse practitioner.
Why do I still have a double chin after losing weight?
Fat comes off across the whole body in an order you can’t choose, and for some people the chin is one of the last places to change. Loose or excess skin, posture and genetics can also keep the area looking full.
Is there a fast way to get rid of neck fat?
No. You can’t spot-reduce the neck, and steady fat loss across the whole body is what reduces neck fat over time.
How long does it take to lose neck fat?
There is no reliable timeline, because you can’t choose where fat comes off first. Measuring your neck and waist every few weeks is a better guide than the mirror.
Is neck size linked to health?
Yes. A thick neck is a recognised risk factor for obstructive sleep apnoea, so snoring with daytime sleepiness is worth raising with a GP or nurse practitioner.
References
- healthdirect. Obstructive sleep apnoea. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/conditions/sleep-disorders/obstructive-sleep-apnoea
- Sleep Health Foundation. Obstructive sleep apnoea. https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/sleep-disorders/obstructive-sleep-apnoea
- Vispute SS, Smith JD, LeCheminant JD, Hurley KS. The effect of abdominal exercise on abdominal fat. J Strength Cond Res. 2011;25(9):2559–64. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181fb4a46
- Ramírez-Campillo R, Andrade DC, Campos-Jara C, et al. Regional fat changes induced by localized muscle endurance resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2013;27(8):2219–24. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31827e8681
- healthdirect. Goitre. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/conditions/hormonal-diseases/goitre
- healthdirect. Swollen lymph nodes. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/symptoms/swollen-lymph-nodes
- healthdirect. Cushing’s syndrome. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/conditions/hormonal-diseases/cushings-syndrome
- Jean Hailes for Women’s Health. Menopause and weight. https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/resources/menopause-and-weight