context, context
of course fat is qi - highly condensed, high caloric density, of course! how to convert into a more usable form of qi is the question really being asked here. its just like the sun - we can very easily utilize X amount of its energy, but there is exponentially more of that energy that is simply unavailable for us to use, until we figure out how to utilize it in a positive fashion!
if explaining to one who isnt very familiar with qi then of course it wont help telling them fat is qi, unless you are making relational statements. it shouldnt be the primary...or secondary even, method relied upon to reduce abdominal adipose, but...man, when I was in good longevity practice with minute+ long breaths, it absolutely did spark my metabolism and make yang jump forth from extreme yin. I'd hesitate to relate that if it was only once, but I've "made that progress" half a dozen different time periods now - if only I stayed that well in practice!
although, having a bad back, I simply do not let my stomach get too large or my back really lets me know its not a fan and then I have to do tons of xing shen zhuang to fix it