never heard the term "skinny fat" before joining this forum

24

Replies

  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
    It means someone who is thin but still has a high percentage of body fat which is still unhealthy.

    Sometimes it means skinny people who have a BF% in the healthy range, but have no visible muscle. I once saw it described in these forums as "someone who is skinny but has a super high BF% of like 23". (in a discussion about women)

    I saw that thread. 23% body fat is not super high. It's normal. It seems like the view of normal is completely skewed on this site.
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
    You do realize that you can be very thin and extremely unhealthy, right?
    You do realize that just because someone is thin doesn't mean they're muscle, right?
    You do realize that if they don't have muscle, they have a higher percentage of body fat, right?
    Hence, skinny fat.

    uh, just because someone doesn't have muscle doesn't mean they are unhealthy. the women shaming on this forum is unreal. i'm on another forum comprised mostly of men and i thought it was bad on there, but this forum is 10 times worse.
  • Rawr1978
    Rawr1978 Posts: 245 Member
    sure, there's such a thing as "skinny fat". I used to see them in the gym- they'd kill themselves on cardio machines, ignore the strength training section, and their *kitten* were thin, but pretty much hung to the backs of their knees. Zero muscle tone.
  • Rawr1978
    Rawr1978 Posts: 245 Member
    You do realize that you can be very thin and extremely unhealthy, right?
    You do realize that just because someone is thin doesn't mean they're muscle, right?
    You do realize that if they don't have muscle, they have a higher percentage of body fat, right?
    Hence, skinny fat.

    uh, just because someone doesn't have muscle doesn't mean they are unhealthy. the women shaming on this forum is unreal. i'm on another forum comprised mostly of men and i thought it was bad on there, but this forum is 10 times worse.

    wait around a bit, it gets even worse.
  • djshari
    djshari Posts: 513 Member
    I hadn't really heard of it but I get it. I think it is used because many people think that skinny = healthy and that really isn't the case, there are a lot of factors and like people said above someone at a normal weight can still have a high body fat percentage and have a higher risk of obesity related problems.

    I don't know why anyone would get offended.
  • Rawr1978
    Rawr1978 Posts: 245 Member
    People get offended over EVERYTHING lol
    Skinny is by no means "healthy". I've never been skinny, but I've been a lot healthier and in shape than a lot of "thin" people i know.
    I don't want to be skinny, thin, skinny-fat, chunky, fat, obese. Being proportional would be amazing.
  • baotzu
    baotzu Posts: 28
    I think it's crap the way it's used on here ..no I'm not skinny fat and I hate having to say that actually like I have to defend myself...it's yet another term that is thrown predominately at women to make them feel less than..once again suggesting failure if you don't conform to a prevailing attitude. It's a ridiculous demeaning put down.

    It's not always used correctly here on MFP because, as with a lot of topics here, most people are horrifically uninformed.

    It's very simple.. if you have a "normal" weight, but a high body fat %.. congrats, you're skinnyfat. That's it. Also, this isn't something that ails one gender more than another.
    Sometimes it means skinny people who have a BF% in the healthy range, but have no visible muscle.
    Not when the term is used correctly it isn't.
  • langsyne
    langsyne Posts: 106 Member
    The term skinny fat has been around for a long time, maybe even prior to internet. I first heard the term about 15 years ago.
    It is ok when used in proper context - normal BMI, but fat % considered overweight or obese.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    sure, there's such a thing as "skinny fat". I used to see them in the gym- they'd kill themselves on cardio machines, ignore the strength training section, and their *kitten* were thin, but pretty much hung to the backs of their knees. Zero muscle tone.

    Weird. What kind of cardio were they doing that didn't use their glutes??
  • Andrew_peter
    Andrew_peter Posts: 94 Member
    Handy chart here for these terms:

    http://oi53.tinypic.com/35mh9fo.jpg
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Well, I misunderstood it because it gets misused so much. I am at 18% bodyfat and have visible abs and a perky booty (it was great when I was young and lifting weights has helped perk it back up again), and did not think I was fat (I am a 34 year old, mother of 2). But, I thought people were going to think my arms and thighs were too big and therefor call me skinny fat (I realize now that is not what people mean). But, I am happy with my body and only want to continue to work on my fitness as I always have. I don't need or want to lose any significant amount of fat. If I lose a pound of fat here or there, that's fine, but not something I have as a goal. I feel fully comfortable in a bikini and naked. I get compliments often. The idea of skinny fat does get misunderstood and can result in some people putting impossibly high standards on themselves and feeling like they are going to be judged if they do not meet these standards of perfection. I have even seen people on here call the Victoria Secret models skinny fat (they most definitely are not). Being healthy is absolutely what is most important to me about my body. Also, I don't go around calling people fat because I do think that would be insulting to them. I also perceived "skinny fat" to mean worse than fat.
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
    The term skinny fat has been around for a long time, maybe even prior to internet. I first heard the term about 15 years ago.
    It is ok when used in proper context - normal BMI, but fat % considered overweight or obese.

    There doesn't even seem like there are any good cheap ways to even measure body fat % in the first place, yet we are judging people based on it.
  • hotjacki85
    hotjacki85 Posts: 287 Member
    I had not heard this term either.... I would kill for the bodies of some of these "skinny fat" members. But I have learned what it means and do understand now why its termed that
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    sure, there's such a thing as "skinny fat". I used to see them in the gym- they'd kill themselves on cardio machines, ignore the strength training section, and their *kitten* were thin, but pretty much hung to the backs of their knees. Zero muscle tone.

    Weird. What kind of cardio were they doing that didn't use their glutes??

    My *kitten* drooped like that that after I lost weight. I was running, some biking and elliptical, and doing endurance type strength training (5 pound dumbbell, body weight, circuit, typical DVD type stuff).

    Now, I didn't whine about being skinny fat or anything. I thought my bum looked fine for someone my age. But then I started strength training and it looked like I got a butt-lift.
  • Hirgy03
    Hirgy03 Posts: 332 Member
    Okay, this is the first time I've looked on any thread to see what this term actually means.

    Needless to say, I'm completely bummed. I thought that there was fat we could leave on a steak that would maybe help us get skinny.

    Heartbreaking thread is....well,......heartbreaking:sad: :sad: :sad: :cry: :cry: :cry: :ohwell: :ohwell: :ohwell:
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    The term has been around for a while... I first read about it in Self magazine in 2010 or some time around there...
  • babyblooz
    babyblooz Posts: 220 Member
    I hate that term so dang much. :grumble:
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
    sure, there's such a thing as "skinny fat". I used to see them in the gym- they'd kill themselves on cardio machines, ignore the strength training section, and their *kitten* were thin, but pretty much hung to the backs of their knees. Zero muscle tone.

    Weird. What kind of cardio were they doing that didn't use their glutes??

    My *kitten* drooped like that that after I lost weight. I was running, some biking and elliptical, and doing endurance type strength training (5 pound dumbbell, body weight, circuit, typical DVD type stuff).

    Now, I didn't whine about being skinny fat or anything. I thought my bum looked fine for someone my age. But then I started strength training and it looked like I got a butt-lift.

    i didn't do any weight training when i lost weight. i had a huge *kitten* prior to losing weight. it just got smaller. it didn't droop though.
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
    it's like a way to say to women, you lost 100 pounds, BUT you're skinny fat so all your dieting was for nothing. sorry!

    HATE HATE HATE the term.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    I don't get how someone can be forced to feel shame because of what someone else said. For me, shame comes from within, not from other people. IMO that's a character flaw and people who can be shamed by others should be ashamed of themselves.
  • TomKat428
    TomKat428 Posts: 30
    It is a real condition, but like "starvation mode," it is overgeneralized and used incorrectly on this forum more often than not. You can be at a healthy weight but still have a high body fat% relative to your lean body mass. That usually puts you at risk of the same health complications that society normally associates with traditionally "obese" people.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    sure, there's such a thing as "skinny fat". I used to see them in the gym- they'd kill themselves on cardio machines, ignore the strength training section, and their *kitten* were thin, but pretty much hung to the backs of their knees. Zero muscle tone.

    Weird. What kind of cardio were they doing that didn't use their glutes??

    My *kitten* drooped like that that after I lost weight. I was running, some biking and elliptical, and doing endurance type strength training (5 pound dumbbell, body weight, circuit, typical DVD type stuff).

    Now, I didn't whine about being skinny fat or anything. I thought my bum looked fine for someone my age. But then I started strength training and it looked like I got a butt-lift.

    Yeah, I guess those do mostly target the legs without getting much glute work. Hiking, Zumba, step aerobics (among other things) all kept mine nice and firm while losing.
  • digitalbath11
    digitalbath11 Posts: 3 Member
    I think it's crap the way it's used on here ..no I'm not skinny fat and I hate having to say that actually like I have to defend myself...it's yet another term that is thrown predominately at women to make them feel less than..once again suggesting failure if you don't conform to a prevailing attitude. It's a ridiculous demeaning put down.

    It's not always used correctly here on MFP because, as with a lot of topics here, most people are horrifically uninformed.

    It's very simple.. if you have a "normal" weight, but a high body fat %.. congrats, you're skinnyfat. That's it. Also, this isn't something that ails one gender more than another.
    Sometimes it means skinny people who have a BF% in the healthy range, but have no visible muscle.
    Not when the term is used correctly it isn't.

    YES, YES, AND YES.

    When the term is used correctly (normal BMI - weight to height ratio with high BF percentage) it is NOT a thing one should dismiss, as the OP suggests. It is actually extremely unhealthy, and some experts claim that it just as unhealthy as being in the obese range with high body fat end of the scale.

    Please, inform yourselves with this information before spewing misinformation to others in order to make people feel good.

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704762904575025313433081780.html

    Skinny fat is real and it's REALLY unhealthy. End of story.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I don't get how someone can be forced to feel shame because of what someone else said. For me, shame comes from within, not from other people. IMO that's a character flaw and people who can be shamed by others should be ashamed of themselves.

    Yeah, everyone knows that words never hurt. Only sticks and stone do.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    While the term does get misused around here it can be a problem... a real problem that is just as disconcerting as obvious obesity.... No matter what term is used it can be used to stimatize people that others envy... it's just a part of life. I personally don't use it unless I am talking about health effects, because I'm not someones doctor/trainer/what have you... so I would have no idea whether or not they are. I wouldn't get offended over it when it's used though... because most people do have the meaning wrong.
  • lacurandera1
    lacurandera1 Posts: 8,083 Member
    sure, there's such a thing as "skinny fat". I used to see them in the gym- they'd kill themselves on cardio machines, ignore the strength training section, and their *kitten* were thin, but pretty much hung to the backs of their knees. Zero muscle tone.

    Weird. What kind of cardio were they doing that didn't use their glutes??

    My *kitten* drooped like that that after I lost weight. I was running, some biking and elliptical, and doing endurance type strength training (5 pound dumbbell, body weight, circuit, typical DVD type stuff).

    Now, I didn't whine about being skinny fat or anything. I thought my bum looked fine for someone my age. But then I started strength training and it looked like I got a butt-lift.

    QFT. Lorina, your derriere looks better than most 18 yos! :)
  • Hirgy03
    Hirgy03 Posts: 332 Member
    This thread is about to get awesome! I'm grabbing some popcorn.
  • lacurandera1
    lacurandera1 Posts: 8,083 Member
    Ps now that I said you have a great bum, i have ads on the side of my screen showing some gals *kitten*. Yours is better than hers, too. LOL
  • babyblooz
    babyblooz Posts: 220 Member
    I don't get how someone can be forced to feel shame because of what someone else said. For me, shame comes from within, not from other people. IMO that's a character flaw and people who can be shamed by others should be ashamed of themselves.

    Yeah, everyone knows that words never hurt. Only sticks and stone do.

    Trufax. And really, it's not about feeling "shame". It's just offensive to my delicate sensibilities. :wink:
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Sometimes it means skinny people who have a BF% in the healthy range, but have no visible muscle.
    Not when the term is used correctly it isn't.

    Yes, that was the point of my post, but since you cut that part off, I'm guessing you already knew that.

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