Hate the term "skinny fat"

justrun52

I feel like ranting right now on that term. Why? Because I feel like a lot of healthy, active skinny girls are calling themselves that because they don't look like a Victoria's Secret model or a fitness model.

Coming from someone who does her absolute best to stay in shape and eat healthy, that term just brings extra pressure to look a certain way. I just get the feeling lately that the pressure to be completely toned with perfectly sculpted muscles is just as damaging as the pressure to be a size 0.

I will always agree that strength training and cardio is the best. But for me- right now my best is to run- and I run a lot, and I'm toned, I have a very low body fat %, but I am no fitness model. Too many people don't use that term correctly- rather they use it to describe themselves when really they are in good health.

I am not bashing those who do it all- I certainly wish I had that extra motivation to fit a very well-rounded workout into my life- but then I'd also be taking the joy out of my workouts.

Again, we are all here to be healthier people- but no one should feel bad about not having that "perfect" body, especially after doing so much to begin with.

Carnivor0us

If you have a low bodyfat% and you're toned, then you're not "skinny fat." Lifting isn't always required to have tone.

"Skinny fat" to me is someone who just gets down to a specific number (weight, BMI, whatever) without bothering to obtain a decent body fat percentage and lean muscle mass.

paradisochick

I feel like ranting right now on that term. Why? Because I feel like a lot of healthy, active skinny girls are calling themselves that because they don't look like a Victoria's Secret model or a fitness model.

Coming from someone who does her absolute best to stay in shape and eat healthy, that term just brings extra pressure to look a certain way. I just get the feeling lately that the pressure to be completely toned with perfectly sculpted muscles is just as damaging as the pressure to be a size 0.

I will always agree that strength training and cardio is the best. But for me- right now my best is to run- and I run a lot, and I'm toned, I have a very low body fat %, but I am no fitness model. And I would not consider myself "skinny fat" by any means just because I don't lift weights. My weights are running up and down hills and running faster. I am in excellent health- and my biggest health issue is a zit.

I am not bashing those who do it all- I certainly wish I had that extra motivation to fit a very well-rounded workout into my life- but then I'd also be taking the joy out of my workouts.

Again, we are all here to be healthier people- but no one should feel bad about not having that "perfect" body, especially after doing so much to begin with.

End of rant.

I agree though. I hate those kinds of terms.

Dr_Waffles

skinny fat may actually refer to people who have a lot of visceral fat.

BinaryPulsar

I hear you! And agree! The term gets way overused and misused. I see so many young, beautiful girls (that look damn perfect to me) calling themselves that. It is very destructive for people prone to ED's. And everyone has a different meaning for it.

I'm not skinny fat. I'm fit, have a low bf %, active and capable, and I look fantastic naked!! And I eat a ton! And I'm superbly healthy.

torsrudr

My interpretation of "skinny fat" is someone who is thin, but not necessarily healthy. They keep their weight down through calorie restriction or are just naturally thin, but don't have good nutrition and exercise habits.

Weight and appearance are not good ways to measure health.

j6o4

! think the term is perfectly normal. You can be big a ripped, big and fat, skinny and ripped or skinny and fat. Skinny fat for me is someone who is underweight with a high bodyfat percentage.

phjorg1

then what do you propose you call people with normal weights and high body fat levels? It seems you're ranting against something unrelated to the term...

shadow2soul

The term is meant to refer to some one who is in the normal bmi range(or lower) for their height, but still has a high BF%. The term does get misused a lot, but I don't think the term itself is bad.

edit: Your rant seems more like your leaning towards the misuse of the term.

BinaryPulsar

then what do you propose you call people with normal weights and high body fat levels? It seems you're ranting against something unrelated to the term...

Normal weight obesity is technically correct. Since it is descriptive with clear meanings it does not get used incorrectly. But, do whatever you want. I don't care. I just don't like seeing normal, beautiful girls call themselves that when it's not true at all. Or seeing dingbats calling people it when it's not true. Or seeing people become obsessive.

justrun52

The term is meant to refer to some one who is in the normal bmi range(or lower) for their height, but still has a high BF%. The term does get misused a lot, but I don't think the term itself is bad.

edit: Your rant seems more like your leaning towards the misuse of the term.

Yes, this.

kdeaux1959

Anything is open to misinterpretation. Skinny fat probably is actually inaccurate anyway but I understand what it means... Some people have a higher body fat percentage than their Ideal body weight would normally support... A good body fat percentage is of course optimum. I do agree that there is no "perfect body"... in fact we all have different definitions of what that is...

SrJoben

Uhhh is OP blaming some random term for girls being unhappy with their bodies? I'm pretty sure girls were unhappy with their bodies and wanting to look like victorias secret models long before those two words were ever mushed together.

I think skinnyfat is a really useful term. It does a good job of getting across the idea that just not being obese is not to epitome of fitness and health.

runlilyrun

My interpretation of "skinny fat" is someone who is thin, but not necessarily healthy. They keep their weight down through calorie restriction or are just naturally thin, but don't have good nutrition and exercise habits.

Weight and appearance are not good ways to measure health.

This.

Like, there were girls in my ballet class who has completely flat stomachs, but they neither had fat nor any muscle - they couldn't do more than three or four sit-ups.

Lyadeia

"Skinny Fat" is very real for a lot of people. I used to be one of them...I used to weigh 128 pounds yet was holding on to 30% body fat. Now that I have corrected this issue, I am 136 pounds yet I only have 22% body fat. I am wearing the same clothes as when I was lighter, but I am much more healthy. I used to have pre-diabetic and pre-hypertensive symptoms even though I was 128 pounds. I am now heavier and am very healthy with lower body fat.

Perhaps other people misuse the term, but it is a real concept whether you like it or not.

BinaryPulsar

That's fine, but people will use the term for athletic people that have 18 to 24% bodyfat (even for people with visible abs). Or for people that have gained a few pounds. A lot of people do not apply common sense to the use of the term. They have parameters for it that are nonsense. If you can't see the fat, then they are not skinny fat. People even call the VS models skinny fat. A lot of the time "skinny fat" is just the term people use when they need to feel better about themselves by putting other people down (and they have a sense of entitlement to do so).

When people post topics because they have an ED and body dysmorphia. People, with their lack off ability to apply common sense, will tell the girl that she must be skinny fat. They join her in her dysmorphia and support her in seeing herself through distortion.

BoomstickChick

I know someone that was in a size 4/5 but she had a lot of pudge and a muffin top. That's skinny-fat to me.

RoadsterGirlie

I can see both sides. I do see girls on here from time to time calling themselves "skinny fat" when there is absolutely nothing wrong with them.

On the other hand, there are people out there with a normal BMI that have an unusually high body fat percentage and lower muscle mass. In this case, the term is used correctly. To combat this, the answer isn't weight loss - it's lifting heavy and building muscle.

So while it is a legitimate term, it can be overused in some cases.

ZealousMissJJ

Skinny fat is too loose of a term. However, I had a perfect BMI, size 10, but had 34,5% bf. That is what I would call skinny fat.

Boogage

I only hate the term skinny fat because I am skinny fat lol. However, the term has encouraged me start to try and build a bit more muscle so that I can burn a bit more fat and lower my BF%. If I hadn't heard about skinny fat then I'd still be wondering why I'm nearing 130lbs, have a BMI of 22 and am still wearing huge clothes and can pinch a lot more than an inch! Its helped me understand that to decrease my risk of health problems such as heart attacks in the future I need to keep trying to improve my health and not just think I must be healthy because I have reduced my weight.

I'm sure the term does get misused but don't they all?!

kwilliams386

This term has really helped me out in understanding my weight loss goals. I used to me 120 and thought I was fat. well, I was! my BF was 30% or higher! I am now 145, but since I have been on MFP I have lost almost 5% BF, down from 38% but my LBM is up 6lbs as well. I haven't lost a LOT of weight, but I feel better about myself now than I did at 120, skinnyfat is why. I don't think of myself any more "FAT" now than I was then, My goals have changed from, I want to be 120lbs again, to I want to get my BF% down and my LBM up.. that could mean ANYTHING in lbs. I think women will always feel fat and insecure, that is just the consequence of societal standards, not health standards. If women are here for the right reason, to be healthy, they are NOT concerned about looking like a VS model. Women are insecure because they let themselves feel that way. They need to grow up and put on their big girl panties and start acting like intelligent rational adults then they will feel just as sexy as a VS model. I am not a twig, but I think I am sexy as hell. LIke I said, my weight isn't my problem anymore, it is my health. That is what should motivate people, and if fear of being skinnyfat does it, good. If your BF% is in a healthy range, then you shouldn't care less. Even skinny people need to be healthy. If they are "fat" they are still at a high risk of diabetes and all of the other risk factors that come along with being too "fat".

BinaryPulsar

It is good when it can be helpful to people.

Perhaps it is difficult for me to even fathom (and it sounds like nonsense to me). I've always been incredibly fit, with low bodyfat. When my bf% got up to 22% I joined mfp to lower it back down to 18%. But, I never went on a low calorie diet. Always eaten way above the "recommendations" for my size.

To me it just sounds like people can't ever be happy, they always see them selves as fat. They go from fat fat to skinny fat.

kitticus15

My interpretation of "skinny fat" is someone who is thin, but not necessarily healthy. They keep their weight down through calorie restriction or are just naturally thin, but don't have good nutrition and exercise habits.

Weight and appearance are not good ways to measure health.

I myself have flitted from "skinny fat" as described above to "fat fat", I am now determined to stop that cycle and be fit and healthy... there is a difference, I am losing inches so heading back to the skinny but doing it with healthier food choices and exercise rather than calorie restriction as I always did in the past... my father was skinny fat, the proof was the heart attack at age 55 when he was as thin as a rake... he ate badly, fried food, full english breakfast everyday, smoked and drank... I learnt from that lesson even if he didn't...

mjl54

If you can't see the fat, then they are not skinny fat. People even call the VS models skinny fat. A lot of the time "skinny fat" is just the term people use when they need to feel better about themselves by putting other people down (and they have a sense of entitlement to do so).

Inncorrect.

As said it is people with a NORMAL BMI and high BF%. so if you where to look at them with clothes on you would think they where fine. but in all reality they are low on the muscle side.

And yes a VS model could be skinny fat.
a woman any size could be skinny fat from 0 up.
just like I consider my brother skinnyfat he lost 40lbs and looks fine but has no muscle tone and avg. 25%bf

BinaryPulsar

If you can't see the fat, then they are not skinny fat. People even call the VS models skinny fat. A lot of the time "skinny fat" is just the term people use when they need to feel better about themselves by putting other people down (and they have a sense of entitlement to do so).

Inncorrect.

As said it is people with a NORMAL BMI and high BF%. so if you where to look at them with clothes on you would think they where fine. but in all reality they are low on the muscle side.

And yes a VS model could be skinny fat.

Have you seen the VS models? They have visible abs and very solid, firm leg muscles.

I mean, that if you can see a person's visible abs and they have no fat to grab and pinch at around their full body visible muscle definition they are not skinny fat.

Also some people are too skinny. It's called being skinny.

RoadsterGirlie

Also, a person can be thin, but not very fit either. Maybe they have a normal BMI and normal BF%, but they need to increase their endurance and strength.

These traits have nothing to do with aesthetics or vanity, but what the body is physically capable of.

BinaryPulsar

I need everyone to get naked for me, so I can determine if they are skinnyfat. Don't worry, I'm a doctor.

tequila09

I am the definition of skinny fat. Im 5'8 and a size 6 but im at 28% body fat!! I look great with clothes on but you can definitely tell in a bikini.

RoadsterGirlie

Um, are you sure about that? lol

tequila09

I need everyone to get naked for me, so I can determine if they are skinnyfat. Don't worry, I'm a doctor.

I second this.

mjl54

If you can't see the fat, then they are not skinny fat. People even call the VS models skinny fat. A lot of the time "skinny fat" is just the term people use when they need to feel better about themselves by putting other people down (and they have a sense of entitlement to do so).

Inncorrect.

As said it is people with a NORMAL BMI and high BF%. so if you where to look at them with clothes on you would think they where fine. but in all reality they are low on the muscle side.

And yes a VS model could be skinny fat.

Have you seen the VS models? They have visible abs and very solid, firm leg muscles.

I mean, that if you can see a person's visible abs and they have no fat to grab and pinch at around their full body visible muscle definition they are not skinny fat.

Also some people are too skinny. It's called being skinny.

I have seen them:bigsmile:
im didn't say they ARE skinnyfat as i said they COULD be.