Hate the term "skinny fat"

I called myself that for awhile. I was a size 3/4, but had a 26% body fat. It was not meant to be insulting, it was just a term I used to describe myself while working at lowering my body fat.

I often call myself a 'fat anorexic'; I've lost 28lb but sometimes when I look in the mirror, all I see is fat! (I weigh 185lb),

most of the time I use it as a way to keep at this thing

I don't like the term because I am a "fat girl" right now. I am no where near skinny or skinny fat. However, I know that I am healthier than some of my co-workers who are a size 2! I attempt to eat healthy. I am really good at working out and do it often. Some of them have never even been to a gym. It surprised me when one raised up her shirt and showed me her belly. She was like "its flabby because i don't work out."

So skinny fat is sort of a thing

I can understand the frustration.

I don't like the word skinny at all, let alone skinny fat, because of the way the word is misused. I personally feel "skinny" and "fat" are opposite extremes, perhaps not equally unhealthy but definitely not healthy. Skinny doesn't mean slim, willowy, graceful. It means awfully thin, skin, bones, and not a lot else. In my mind, to call someone skinny is just as much of an insult as to call someone fat. Yet many of my acquaintances, (and marketing and media,) seem to believe calling a person skinny is a compliment.

Skinny fat is something of an oxymoron. I take it to mean appearing slim but actually having a high percentage of body fat but many of my acquaintances use it to mean, "I guess I'm slimmer than X but I'm still fatter than Y", with the implication that properly skinny is their ideal. It can be immensely irritating, especially when I realise that when I reach my goals these people will probably inaccurately describe me as skinny fat but, hey, it doesn't really affect me so I need to just suck it up and let it go.

Yeah, the term skinny is also problematic. It means different things to different people (like you described). I appreciate your distinction between skinny and slim (or slender).

I agree, OP. Before I came here I thought that "skinny fat" was a possibly useful term to describe people who were slim but had high visceral fat (and so, greater risk of certain diseases). Now it just seems to have become an insult, or a way to describe anyone who isn't obviously fat but isn't muscular. It has come to be about appearance, rather than health risk. It's also become a way for people who aren't at all overweight to feel that their body is wrong and that it's their fault.

It's not just the term, it's the fact that there is pressure on people to have low body fat, regardless of health risk (I believe).

I actually like the term as it applies to the state of being unhealthy but at a low weight. Without that term I never would have looked into it and believed my husbands concerns for his own health since he's always been slender but sensed something was not right. He was right, but it was so hard to conceive of for me until I heard this term and got validation for his complaints.

I don't like when anyone misuses any terms though like "skinny fat", "curvy", etc. I think that often gives terms a new meaning and dilutes their original meaning and makes it hard to find another way to say the same thing, but hard to use the original term without stepping in *kitten*. Now I can't tell a person they seem skinny fat, because I may contributing to promotion of ED, or who knows what else that my imply by now. I would love to tell a friend who complains of feeling ill or tired or anything else that this term may apply and they may want to look at their diet or have the Dr. do bloodwork, not imply something along the lines of vanity. A woman can't simply describe herself as curvy to a stylist on the phone or a man online because it will mean entirely different things to different people. When people want to be modest or self-deprecating and just employ a term to beat themselves with it, or promote themselves as something they're not, it makes the term meaningless after awhile. It then makes it a struggle to get the same point across when the original term provided such brevity and clarity. Too bad.

Well.. being new here... I had never heard the term... but reading through the replies, I am starting to think I am on the skinny-fat cusp (if there is one). haha I started at 5'1", only 113.8 pounds, but I had a muffin top! I think my bf% is only about 15% and my bmi is normal, of course (close to underweight, actually) but I never worked out anymore and seriously need to step my game up with the fitness! See, even "skinny *****es" like me need to work on themselves... Don't let terms and categories get you down. You are doing great and deserve to be recognized for that! Besides, those girls who are doing it for the wrong reasons, will never truly be happy with themselves.... they will always find fault with themselves. Much better to continue what you are doing and feel great about it and not bring yourself down because you aren't doing this or that. Good luck continuing in your journey of fitness!

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.

I think some young ladies who already have damn good bodies call themselves skinny-fat to hide their incipient anorexia.

And good for you, with your slammin' body.

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.

^^^ this

"normal weight obesity" is a medical term for when someone has a BMI in the healthy range, while their body fat percentage is in the obese range. Skinny-fat used to be a colloquial term for normal weight obesity. However it's been widely misused, and most people who are called "skinny-fat" do not have normal weight obesity.

See, that's the point, it used to refer to "normal weight obesity" now it refers to a multitude of things. The Englush language is forever evolving, some phrases change their meaning faster than others. This is one of those.

Skinny fat occurs when someone loses weight rapidly just to obtain a magic number, not caring about fitness, thus losing lean body mass, and possibly having excess skin. They would become skinny fat. Read this and it will help you understand "skinny fat" for those who are confused or have the wrong idea what it is. Becaause I am thinking alot of people, even on this thread, arent' grasping it...

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

It's a misnomer.
It does not describe body composition in a way most people conceive.
Find a better phrase to describe the fat to muscle ratio of a person's body.

I totally agree with the OP. The term gets thrown around a lot. If you're skinny, you're not fat. Fat means overweight. You can be unhealthy, thin, not having much muscles, all of which are not great - but you're not fat if you're skinny.
The term is often used by fat people, especially fat people who claim they have a lot of muscle underneath. It's a way of stating to slimmer people "don't think you're so much better than me".
I absolutely agree that being skinny can still mean you're unhealthy. But overall, being skinny is better than being fat so it is ridiculous when some people claim otherwise. I see girls being called "skinny fat" even though they don't have a high bodyfat percentage.

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.

It's definitely down to proportions as well. Some women have naturally good proportions where the fat seems to distribute well, others have to work off a bit more to get the right figure.
28% body fat is not bad. It's normal/average. It obviously depends on your body, and you can change it if it's best for you, but the number itself is not alarming.

http://www.vitalitypower4u.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/women-body-fat-percentage.jpg

Personally I find the 25% figure the most attractive of those pictured.

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.

How is this term any better? "Normal weight obesity" has the word "obese" in it. So according to you, skinny girl with an ED would still be affected by the term.

Well.. being new here... I had never heard the term... but reading through the replies, I am starting to think I am on the skinny-fat cusp (if there is one). haha I started at 5'1", only 113.8 pounds, but I had a muffin top! I think my bf% is only about 15% and my bmi is normal, of course (close to underweight, actually) but I never worked out anymore and seriously need to step my game up with the fitness! See, even "skinny *****es" like me need to work on themselves... Don't let terms and categories get you down. You are doing great and deserve to be recognized for that! Besides, those girls who are doing it for the wrong reasons, will never truly be happy with themselves.... they will always find fault with themselves. Much better to continue what you are doing and feel great about it and not bring yourself down because you aren't doing this or that. Good luck continuing in your journey of fitness!

I doubt that you have only 15% body fat with a muffin top. 15% is hard to reach for a woman.