Hate the term skinny fat
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Lillymoo01
Posts: 2,865 Member
Someone mentioned this term in the forums the other day and it bothered me and got me thinking. It is such a negative term which just further teaches us to be ashamed of not having the perfect body. I was even doing some reading about it from body building websites who talked about how unhealthy being skinny fat was.
Looking at the diagrams given I would be skinny fat because I still have a few fat reserves here and there. Does that mean I am unhealthy? I have decided no. I have a BMI of 21.5 and a body fat percentage of 25% according to scales. Both are within a healthy range for my aging female years. In fact I believe I would be healthier now than if I went down another 10%.
In this day and age it seems so many are striving for perfection rather than just good health. This just makes us more insecure about ourselves and our body image which is not healthy for our mental health.
Maybe we need to stop striving so hard for the perfectly toned body with little body fat and begin striving for overall health, both physically and mentally. Maybe we need to embrace our bodies which are not perfect. If other parts of our life are suffering because of our fixation on trying for perfection then we are not living a healthy balanced lifestyle.
Looking at the diagrams given I would be skinny fat because I still have a few fat reserves here and there. Does that mean I am unhealthy? I have decided no. I have a BMI of 21.5 and a body fat percentage of 25% according to scales. Both are within a healthy range for my aging female years. In fact I believe I would be healthier now than if I went down another 10%.
In this day and age it seems so many are striving for perfection rather than just good health. This just makes us more insecure about ourselves and our body image which is not healthy for our mental health.
Maybe we need to stop striving so hard for the perfectly toned body with little body fat and begin striving for overall health, both physically and mentally. Maybe we need to embrace our bodies which are not perfect. If other parts of our life are suffering because of our fixation on trying for perfection then we are not living a healthy balanced lifestyle.
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Replies
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The same could be said about our diets. It is sad how many stress about the fact that they cheated by eating something they deemed they should not be eating, or by going over their calories for a day. I have read where people will not go out socially when food is involved because it means deviating from their diets. We are social beings so how is this healthy?
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I totally agree. I think we get too obsessed with the whole diet thing sometimes. As we get older I think we come to accept ourselves with all our little flaws. They are just not important as long as we hare healthy and happy, that is what matters5
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It drives me nuts because it's abused to mean "person who isn't a fitness model/bodybuilder" colloquially. I blame Dr. Mark Hyman (who writes for the Huffington Post) for popularizing this irritating term. Of course, he's a peddler of detox "courses" and the like.
Medically, it was a common-man term used to describe people whose BMI is in the healthy range, but body fat % is dangerously high. The people of concern are those with Metabolic Syndrome who are of "normal" weight by BMI. Those people are "thin but display the biological risk-factors for disease often associated with obesity", ergo, "skinny-fat".
But the way it's thrown around on these boards you're right, it often borders on body shaming or as a social pressure for unrealistic expectations. Personally I'd rather people use the more precise medical terminology but I do realize that such hopes are unlikely to be filled.20 -
It drives me nuts because it's abused to mean "person who isn't a fitness model/bodybuilder" colloquially.
Medically, it was a common-man term used to describe people whose BMI is in the healthy range, but body fat % is dangerously high.
This. This second is the definition I'm aware of, and it's been confusing me no end seeing so many people talk about being skinny fat, it's almost as if there's an epidemic. Your post has actually cleared things up for me.5 -
Lillymoo01 wrote: »Someone mentioned this term in the forums the other day and it bothered me and got me thinking. It is such a negative term which just further teaches us to be ashamed of not having the perfect body. I was even doing some reading about it from body building websites who talked about how unhealthy being skinny fat was.
Looking at the diagrams given I would be skinny fat because I still have a few fat reserves here and there. Does that mean I am unhealthy? I have decided no. I have a BMI of 21.5 and a body fat percentage of 25% according to scales. Both are within a healthy range for my aging female years. In fact I believe I would be healthier now than if I went down another 10%.
In this day and age it seems so many are striving for perfection rather than just good health. This just makes us more insecure about ourselves and our body image which is not healthy for our mental health.
Maybe we need to stop striving so hard for the perfectly toned body with little body fat and begin striving for overall health, both physically and mentally. Maybe we need to embrace our bodies which are not perfect. If other parts of our life are suffering because of our fixation on trying for perfection then we are not living a healthy balanced lifestyle.
Then "skinnyfat" (at least in the medical sense) doesn't apply to you if your bodyfat percentage is in the normal/healthy range. MONW ("Metabolically Obese, Normal Weight", which is the clinical term for "skinnyfat") is used to describe people who are in the normal/healthy weight range but have bodyfat levels of an obese person and can suffer diseases/illnesses associated with obesity. It has nothing whatsoever to do with aesthetic perfection. It's a valid term and a valid concern for those who meet the parameters.35 -
Lillymoo01 wrote: »Someone mentioned this term in the forums the other day and it bothered me and got me thinking. It is such a negative term which just further teaches us to be ashamed of not having the perfect body. I was even doing some reading about it from body building websites who talked about how unhealthy being skinny fat was.
Looking at the diagrams given I would be skinny fat because I still have a few fat reserves here and there. Does that mean I am unhealthy? I have decided no. I have a BMI of 21.5 and a body fat percentage of 25% according to scales. Both are within a healthy range for my aging female years. In fact I believe I would be healthier now than if I went down another 10%.
In this day and age it seems so many are striving for perfection rather than just good health. This just makes us more insecure about ourselves and our body image which is not healthy for our mental health.
Maybe we need to stop striving so hard for the perfectly toned body with little body fat and begin striving for overall health, both physically and mentally. Maybe we need to embrace our bodies which are not perfect. If other parts of our life are suffering because of our fixation on trying for perfection then we are not living a healthy balanced lifestyle.
Then "skinnyfat" (at least in the medical sense) doesn't apply to you if your bodyfat percentage is in the normal/healthy range. MONW ("Metabolically Obese, Normal Weight", which is the clinical term for "skinnyfat") is used to describe people who are in the normal/healthy weight range but have bodyfat levels of an obese person and can suffer diseases/illnesses associated with obesity. It has nothing whatsoever to do with aesthetic perfection. It's a valid term and a valid concern for those who meet the parameters.
You are correct there AnvilHead but, if you go to body building sites rather than medical sites I would be viewed as skinny fat by all the diagrams they display hilighting this 'epidemic'. They have misused a medical term to make it something it is not and all it becomes is body shaming by those who think muscles with very little body fat is the ideal in health and fitness.8 -
I hate the term toning. There's always going to be something people use incorrectly.14
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My younger sister is "skinny fat". She has normal weight, but when we measured her waist an hips for a sewing pattern, we saw that her waist is one size bigger than the rest of her body. We made one of those Internet tests and if we can believe them, she's "skinny fat". She also has symptoms like tiredness, she has no energy, she's getting dizzy after sports in school. That's not healthy.
I don't think the term "skinny fat" applies on you, like AnvilHead just said. But there are many people this term applies on. So maybe you should just check if you are "skinny fat", because being skinny fat means a lot of health problems, as I could research.2 -
I got called skinny fat. While asking for advice to recomp
I got a BMI of 23 and body/fat ratio of 14%. I simply didn't care, i am proud of what i achieved so far (really did not even believe i'd get close to where i am now in my life)! Body shaming exists in various forms, even ripped dudes in gym changing rooms body shame each other whereas they all have greek gods' physique. Learning how to accept words like those and using them to fuel one's will and desire to achieve their best form is a delicate form of self control.8 -
Lillymoo01 wrote: »Lillymoo01 wrote: »Someone mentioned this term in the forums the other day and it bothered me and got me thinking. It is such a negative term which just further teaches us to be ashamed of not having the perfect body. I was even doing some reading about it from body building websites who talked about how unhealthy being skinny fat was.
Looking at the diagrams given I would be skinny fat because I still have a few fat reserves here and there. Does that mean I am unhealthy? I have decided no. I have a BMI of 21.5 and a body fat percentage of 25% according to scales. Both are within a healthy range for my aging female years. In fact I believe I would be healthier now than if I went down another 10%.
In this day and age it seems so many are striving for perfection rather than just good health. This just makes us more insecure about ourselves and our body image which is not healthy for our mental health.
Maybe we need to stop striving so hard for the perfectly toned body with little body fat and begin striving for overall health, both physically and mentally. Maybe we need to embrace our bodies which are not perfect. If other parts of our life are suffering because of our fixation on trying for perfection then we are not living a healthy balanced lifestyle.
Then "skinnyfat" (at least in the medical sense) doesn't apply to you if your bodyfat percentage is in the normal/healthy range. MONW ("Metabolically Obese, Normal Weight", which is the clinical term for "skinnyfat") is used to describe people who are in the normal/healthy weight range but have bodyfat levels of an obese person and can suffer diseases/illnesses associated with obesity. It has nothing whatsoever to do with aesthetic perfection. It's a valid term and a valid concern for those who meet the parameters.
You are correct there AnvilHead but, if you go to body building sites rather than medical sites I would be viewed as skinny fat by all the diagrams they display hilighting this 'epidemic'. They have misused a medical term to make it something it is not and all it becomes is body shaming by those who think muscles with very little body fat is the ideal in health and fitness.
Bodybuilders in general are beyond neurotic about their physiques and anybody who isn't packing tons of muscle mass and shredded to sub-10% bodyfat is considered skinnyfat in their eyes. *shrug* Nothing you can do about other peoples' opinions. I guess the best advice would be to not hang around on bodybuilding sites, because they're never going to change.10 -
What chart/diagrams are you referring to that categorize you as "skinny fat"? The BMI and BF% you are at shouldn't put you in that category..
The term "skinny fat" has its merits - when used in the right context, referring to somebody with normal BMI below 25, but high body fat percentage (above 30% for females). At that point, it is not just a matter of appearance or perfection or vanity, it's a matter of health risks such as visceral fat deposits.8 -
I like the term when used correctly. The problem I see is that it often isn't. I have a friend who is the same weight and around the same height at I am. We are both at the highest end of our "healthy" weight range and still losing but my bf% is 25% and hers is around 30%. This happened because on our weight loss journies she used extreme calorie restriction with no activities to maintain muscle mass. I am concerned for her health and long term mobility. I think these are the cases where the term is appropriate, although as a friend I would never call her skinny fat but instead stay focussed on my concern regarding her muscle loss.5
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I've never actually sat and thought how the words would sound to people.
I've used it to explain to people why they shouldn't under eat and that they should protect their lean muscle mass.
I genuinely thank you for the thread. I'll find different words to explain it now.21 -
RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »I've never actually sat and thought how the words would sound to people.
I've used it to explain to people why they shouldn't under eat and that they should protect their lean muscle mass.
I genuinely thank you for the thread. I'll find different words to explain it now.
You could describe it as a friend once did when referring to another mutual friend: "He looks like a Basset Hound. If you held him up by the collar, he could turn around in his own skin."
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The term describes people of healthy bmi and obese fat %.
Why are people upset by a term for a specific condition?
I am skinny fat now and the fact that I know what this means makes me NOT being upset by my body shape because I know that I can change my shape by working out a bit (and recomposing my body instead of losing more and more weight). Healthy fat % is important for overall well-being too, not just your bmi.
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gebeziseva wrote: »The term describes people of healthy bmi and obese fat %.
Why are people upset by a term for a specific condition?
I am skinny fat now and the fact that I know what this means makes me NOT being upset by my body shape because I know that I can change my shape by working out a bit (and recomposing my body instead of losing more and more weight). Healthy fat % is important for overall well-being too, not just your bmi.
Because people use the term when they don't see a six pack.gebeziseva wrote: »The term describes people of healthy bmi and obese fat %.
Why are people upset by a term for a specific condition?
I am skinny fat now and the fact that I know what this means makes me NOT being upset by my body shape because I know that I can change my shape by working out a bit (and recomposing my body instead of losing more and more weight). Healthy fat % is important for overall well-being too, not just your bmi.
Because people use the term when they don't see a six pack.
And there is a heck of a lot of difference between a normal weight/normal physique person, a metabolically obese normal weight person, and a person with a physique that manages to show through as ripped even though they have excess skin following significant weight loss!8 -
gebeziseva wrote: »The term describes people of healthy bmi and obese fat %.
Why are people upset by a term for a specific condition?
I am skinny fat now and the fact that I know what this means makes me NOT being upset by my body shape because I know that I can change my shape by working out a bit (and recomposing my body instead of losing more and more weight). Healthy fat % is important for overall well-being too, not just your bmi.
Because the term is overused rather than being used by correct medical terms. If I had a fat percentage higher than 30% (which is the maximum for an acceptable range for a female) with my current weight that is one thing. I'd still have health problems. However, because I still have a nice healthy supply of fat reserves around my butt, thighs and upper arms many 'gym junkies' would also relate that term to me.
Thinking about it, it is not the term that is the issue, it is the overuse of it to all that don't have that perfectly toned body. It is like we are inferior and unhealthy because we are not striving for a 6 pack and a low body fat %.
Someone had done a remarkable job with weightloss and posted his after photos on this site. He looked good and should have been proud of himself. Someone then had the audacity to mention the words 'skinny fat'. It got my blood boiling because this didn't apply to him in the slightest. He didn't have a perfectly toned body but he was definately fit and healthy and it was obvious that he was exercising while losing weight.12 -
Lillymoo01 wrote: »gebeziseva wrote: »The term describes people of healthy bmi and obese fat %.
Why are people upset by a term for a specific condition?
I am skinny fat now and the fact that I know what this means makes me NOT being upset by my body shape because I know that I can change my shape by working out a bit (and recomposing my body instead of losing more and more weight). Healthy fat % is important for overall well-being too, not just your bmi.
Because the term is overused rather than being used by correct medical terms. If I had a fat percentage higher than 30% (which is the maximum for an acceptable range for a female) with my current weight that is one thing. I'd still have health problems. However, because I still have a nice healthy supply of fat reserves around my butt, thighs and upper arms many 'gym junkies' would also relate that term to me.
Thinking about it, it is not the term that is the issue, it is the overuse of it to all that don't have that perfectly toned body. It is like we are inferior and unhealthy because we are not striving for a 6 pack and a low body fat %.
Someone had done a remarkable job with weightloss and posted his after photos on this site. He looked good and should have been proud of himself. Someone then had the audacity to mention the words 'skinny fat'. It got my blood boiling because this didn't apply to him in the slightest. He didn't have a perfectly toned body but he was definately fit and healthy and it was obvious that he was exercising while losing weight.
That's awful in the context of a success thread.
However I don't like the phrase Gym junkie either,2 -
The term, when used properly is completely valid as pointed out a couple places above. Unfortunately in the health & fitness world many, many terms get used improperly or are individually defined so often, that they become meaningless(*cough*clean eating)
Also why let one small subset of people (body builders) have such an impact on you?0 -
The term, when used properly is completely valid as pointed out a couple places above. Unfortunately in the health & fitness world many, many terms get used improperly or are individually defined so often, that they become meaningless(*cough*clean eating)
Also why let one small subset of people (body builders) have such an impact on you?
When that one small subset of people think it is their business to shame others for their imperfections rather than encourage and praise for achievements reached it can become a problem. We are all here because we are striving for better health. Encouraging and teaching people to do a mixture of cardio and strength training to encourage fat loss without muscle mass loss is important for this overall health.
Reading through so many of these threads though, you can see that too many are fixated on this ideal. They feel guilty if they have what they consider a cheat meal, they feel embarrassed because they can't accept that their bodies aren't perfect which is totally different than being healthy. There are so many threads about recomp. Are they wanting to do with because of health as they are actually skinny fat, or how about we use the correct medical term rather than the body builders term, metabolically obese normal weight, or they they doing it because of this continual pressure put on us for perfection? Are they continually driving themselves to get fitter and stronger because they are never satisfied with their results?
Health is so much more than just our physical appearance.6
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