Explaining what "Skinny Fat" is
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NightOwl1
Posts: 881 Member
I've seen a lot of talk on the boards lately about the term "skinny fat" and if it's something to be desired, not desired, etc. I've seen on these threads that a lot of people have mentioned they didn't know what skinny fat meant, and there was a lot of misrepresentation among those who thought they did know. I thought I'd take some time to explain the term and how it effects overall health.
To understand what skinny fat is, you first have to understand how we measure obesity. There are two ways that weight and fat are commonly measured. The first is the BMI index, and the second is Body Fat Percentage. The BMI index, which is most commonly used, is a measure of WEIGHT, not of FAT. The BMI is a ranged index that takes in account someone's weight relative to their height, and gives it a score. A BMI score of 18.5-24.9 is considered a healthy weight range, while 25-30 is considered overweight, and 30+ is considered obese. Please note that BMi is a score, it's not a percentage. BMI is primarily used as a tool to look at the obesity levels in wide sections of populations (for example, the percentage of Americans that are overweight, or the percentage of a certain race or ethnic group), since it is simple to calculate and a general effective way of identifying people who also have an obese level of fat. Approximately 80% of people who are over BMI also have an obese level of Body Fat. This is why it's a good general indicator of health for measuring large cross-sections of people. However, as mentioned before, it is a measure of weight, not fat, so it has it's limitations when applied to individuals.
The second way we measure fat is through a person's Body Fat Percentage. BF% is the percent of a person's total weight that is made up by fat deposits. BF% is a harder number to measure than BMI, as to be measured effectively, it usually needs to be done by either calipers or by someone who can professionally measure them for you. You can also measure BF% by using special scales or online calculators, but the accuracy of those methods are questionable. Overall, BF% is a far better indicator of healthy levels of fat than BMI, as it actually measures fat, and not just weight. What is considered a healthy level of BF% is different for men and women, as women have a naturally higher BF% than men. The below chart defines what BF% levels are considered as fit, average, and obese for both men and women.
Description Women Men
Essential fat 10–13% 2–5%
Athletes 14–20% 6–13%
Fitness 21–24% 14–17%
Average 25–31% 18–24%
Obese 32%+ 25%+
An obese level of body fat is considered 32% or higher in women and 25% or higher in men. Having an obese level of body fat, regardless of your weight, is an indication that you are a higher risk for weight associated health problems. Regardless of your BMI, you want to try to avoid being in the obese category of BF% percentage.
So what is "skinny fat?" As I mentioned before, BMI is accurate for most people in diagnosing a healthy or unhealthy level of fat. The majority of people who have an overweight BMI, have an obese BF%, and the majority of people with an average BMI have an average BF% or lower. However, BMI doesn't take into account two groups of people. The first are athletes, who have and undesirable BMI but a desirable BF%. The second group are people with a average BMI but an obese level of BF%. This second group is the group of people defined as "skinny fat". So to put it simply, skinny fat is having a normal BMI but an obese level of BF%. Studies have found that approximately 29% of people with average BMI fall into the "skinny fat" definition.
Skinny fat is not healthy. Despite having a regular weight, skinny fat people are at higher risk for the health effects associated with being overweight. So how do people get skinny fat? A large number of people get who lose weight in unhealthy ways through VLCD diets, starvation mode, or quick fix dieting. When we lose weight, a certain percentage of our loss is muscle, while the rest is fat. The most desirable type of weight loss is that which the loss of muscle is low and the loss of fat is high. People who diet unhealthily tend to lose a much higher percentage of muscle and a lower percentage of fat than those who diet healthily. So unhealthy dieters see the scale going down, and think that they are winning the battle, when in reality, what they are seeing is largely due to a loss in muscle. When they reach an average weight, they have a less than average amount of muscle, and a higher amount of body fat, leaving them as skinny fat.
Skinny fat is never something that should be desired. If you do not want to be muscular, but would rather have an average percentage of body fat and an average BMI, then you don't aspire to be skinny fat, you aspire to be healthy. There is a big difference between the two.
So this ends my very long description of what being skinny fat is. I hope it's helped some people get a better understanding of the concept.
To understand what skinny fat is, you first have to understand how we measure obesity. There are two ways that weight and fat are commonly measured. The first is the BMI index, and the second is Body Fat Percentage. The BMI index, which is most commonly used, is a measure of WEIGHT, not of FAT. The BMI is a ranged index that takes in account someone's weight relative to their height, and gives it a score. A BMI score of 18.5-24.9 is considered a healthy weight range, while 25-30 is considered overweight, and 30+ is considered obese. Please note that BMi is a score, it's not a percentage. BMI is primarily used as a tool to look at the obesity levels in wide sections of populations (for example, the percentage of Americans that are overweight, or the percentage of a certain race or ethnic group), since it is simple to calculate and a general effective way of identifying people who also have an obese level of fat. Approximately 80% of people who are over BMI also have an obese level of Body Fat. This is why it's a good general indicator of health for measuring large cross-sections of people. However, as mentioned before, it is a measure of weight, not fat, so it has it's limitations when applied to individuals.
The second way we measure fat is through a person's Body Fat Percentage. BF% is the percent of a person's total weight that is made up by fat deposits. BF% is a harder number to measure than BMI, as to be measured effectively, it usually needs to be done by either calipers or by someone who can professionally measure them for you. You can also measure BF% by using special scales or online calculators, but the accuracy of those methods are questionable. Overall, BF% is a far better indicator of healthy levels of fat than BMI, as it actually measures fat, and not just weight. What is considered a healthy level of BF% is different for men and women, as women have a naturally higher BF% than men. The below chart defines what BF% levels are considered as fit, average, and obese for both men and women.
Description Women Men
Essential fat 10–13% 2–5%
Athletes 14–20% 6–13%
Fitness 21–24% 14–17%
Average 25–31% 18–24%
Obese 32%+ 25%+
An obese level of body fat is considered 32% or higher in women and 25% or higher in men. Having an obese level of body fat, regardless of your weight, is an indication that you are a higher risk for weight associated health problems. Regardless of your BMI, you want to try to avoid being in the obese category of BF% percentage.
So what is "skinny fat?" As I mentioned before, BMI is accurate for most people in diagnosing a healthy or unhealthy level of fat. The majority of people who have an overweight BMI, have an obese BF%, and the majority of people with an average BMI have an average BF% or lower. However, BMI doesn't take into account two groups of people. The first are athletes, who have and undesirable BMI but a desirable BF%. The second group are people with a average BMI but an obese level of BF%. This second group is the group of people defined as "skinny fat". So to put it simply, skinny fat is having a normal BMI but an obese level of BF%. Studies have found that approximately 29% of people with average BMI fall into the "skinny fat" definition.
Skinny fat is not healthy. Despite having a regular weight, skinny fat people are at higher risk for the health effects associated with being overweight. So how do people get skinny fat? A large number of people get who lose weight in unhealthy ways through VLCD diets, starvation mode, or quick fix dieting. When we lose weight, a certain percentage of our loss is muscle, while the rest is fat. The most desirable type of weight loss is that which the loss of muscle is low and the loss of fat is high. People who diet unhealthily tend to lose a much higher percentage of muscle and a lower percentage of fat than those who diet healthily. So unhealthy dieters see the scale going down, and think that they are winning the battle, when in reality, what they are seeing is largely due to a loss in muscle. When they reach an average weight, they have a less than average amount of muscle, and a higher amount of body fat, leaving them as skinny fat.
Skinny fat is never something that should be desired. If you do not want to be muscular, but would rather have an average percentage of body fat and an average BMI, then you don't aspire to be skinny fat, you aspire to be healthy. There is a big difference between the two.
So this ends my very long description of what being skinny fat is. I hope it's helped some people get a better understanding of the concept.
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Replies
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thankyou for explaining this, as i was a little confused. and now thinking i should be doing some sort of strength training??0
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thankyou for explaining this, as i was a little confused. and now thinking i should be doing some sort of strength training??
I recommend that everyone incorporate some form of strength training as part of their weight loss plan. Contrary to popular belief, it won't prevent weight loss, but it will help prevent muscle loss during weight loss.0 -
:bigsmile: Strength training is ideal for anyone who wishes to lose weight. As Night Owl very well posted first, muscle is essential for a healthy BMI and body fat %. If you are on a routine that only includes cardio exercises you are losing fat but you might be also losing muscle mass in the form of water weight because muscles retain a lot of water. By adding a strength training routine you make sure that your water levels and muscle mass remain about the same through the entire weight loss program and you ensure that the weight that you're losing is just body fat.
I am gonna use myself for an example. I started at 205 pounds with a body fat % of 27%. My routine included a 1500 calorie a day diet (which I drop down to 1200 once my BMR decreased) a 30 minute cardio exercise and a 30 minute weight training session. I am now happy to say that my weight is 152 pounds and my body fat % is only 14.4%.
Also remember that the larger the muscle mass, the better your metabolism will be in burning calories.
According to the BMI index i am healthy and from the body fat % i am close to being an athlete!0 -
I have a friend who is skinny fat and she gives me a lot of crap for being obese. She was obese as a child and then developed anorexia as a teenager and is now a skinny fat adult who just sits on the exercise bike a few times a week. I strength train and and swim and my arms are stronger and firmer than hers, it might take me longer but when I get to her BMI range I'll be healthier. Strength training is awesome- i love having muscle
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I kept hearing this term thrown around, and at the very least it made me take a better look at body composition. I'm rather new to the wider world of "fitness" (although I've always been fit), and I think it's important for me to look into these things.
NightOwl, I've read numerous of descriptions/discussions of the concept of "skinny fat" complete with pictures to illustrate various points, but yours was the first one that went into *how* people become skinny fat. I think that's a very important part of the description.0 -
Yes, I am in the 20%, Obese BMI of 30.7 with an average Body Fat% of 20%. Or in layman's terms, Obese but healthy. I will roll with that.0
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I just had a rant about this whole "skinny fat" thing to my MFPeeps...but then I found out that despite what I thought, I calculated my body fat percentage and I fall in the "Fitness" category at 23.4%. I've been doing a balance of cardio and weights for a few weeks now, and I hope to get out of this category one day. For now though, I still have little love handles and some cellulite on the backs of my thighs. But since working out regularly and properly, my moods are getting better and I am genuinely feeling the health benefits. So, for now, I'm me. I'm healthy, and I'm not sedentary. I guess I can only be the best me I can be.0
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Thank you. I kept seeing the term but really wasn't sure what it exactly was.0
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I have a friend who is skinny fat and she gives me a lot of crap for being obese. She was obese as a child and then developed anorexia as a teenager and is now a skinny fat adult who just sits on the exercise bike a few times a week. I strength train and and swim and my arms are stronger and firmer than hers, it might take me longer but when I get to her BMI range I'll be healthier. Strength training is awesome- i love having muscle
Minus the anorexia part, almost all of my female friends are the same. They're concerned purely about their looks, and don't care how they get there. Usually, they're wanting a quick-fix, or an easy way out--minimal exercise, but with extreme results. Most of which don't work anyway, but it doesn't stop them from trying. Simply buying any process garbage you can find that says "non-fat" or "low-fat" or "diet" while not exercising and aspiring only to "look good" will most likely not get you anywhere long-term, and I wish they'd understand that. They will be, as this thread states, skinny fat, with health problems.0 -
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BUMP~ want to read later~ thanks for explaining!0
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Great post!0
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Can I get the Cliffs Notes version?0
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Can I get the Cliffs Notes version?
Cliff Notes version is that Skinny Fat is when you have a BMI that is considered average and a body fat percentage that is considered obese.0 -
So basically Skinny Fat means you look skinny but have the health stats of a fat person?0
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So basically Skinny Fat means you look skinny but have the health stats of a fat person?
Not really, some fat people or people with a high BMI can still have healthy stats.0 -
This topic HAS been debated for a while. Glad someone broke it down to explain it to people that skinny fat is a lot less desirable than it may seem at first glance.
Not only is skinny fat bad because of the high percentages of body fat in relation to overall lower body mass and weight, it is also bad because we don't just pack that fat onto our BONES. We pack it onto our VITAL ORGANS. If you thought only those suffering from morbid obesity could fall victim to fatty liver and other serious health problems caused by fatty organs, think again. Visceral fat cannot be seen from the surface, thus it doesn't produce a physical aesthetic that is displeasing to the eye. However, it is very unhealthy.
I used to think that if I just ate the right things and stayed under my calorie goal, that I'd lose weight and be okay with whatever happened to my body as long as I saw the scale go down. After learning about the real adverse health effects of true skinny fatness, I don't want to be anything but fit.0 -
It's a skinny person by BMI standards with a higher than average body fat% or depending on gender over 30% for women and 25% for men.0
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So basically Skinny Fat means you look skinny but have the health stats of a fat person?
Not really, some fat people or people with a high BMI can still have healthy stats.
Got it0
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