Skinny Fat
February 17, 2010 by Erin
Credit: greeblie
We all know that just because someone is thin, it doesn’t necessarily mean he or she is healthy, just as someone carrying a few extra pounds can be given a clean bill of health. But can you be a normal weight and fat at the same time? Signs point to yes, says the Magic 8-Ball.
A recent Mayo Clinic study suggests that even in people with a normal body size (body mass index), those with a high percentage of body fat were at a greater risk of future heart problems than those with low body-fat percentages. The study shows that as many as 30 million Americans may fall into this “normal weight obesity” category and may be unaware of their heart-health risks because the scale looks fine and their BMIs are in a normal range. One more thing to watch in the battle of the bulge.
—Erin
My personal trainer is technically “obese” according to his BMI. He weighs 230 and is 6 feet tall. Did I mention he was a triathlete? BMI can definitely be a misleading measure.
I’ve been self-described “skinny fat” for most of my life. At 5’4″ the heaviest I’ve ever been was just under 130, but I’m only now starting to exercise and actually get in shape. Thanks for drawing attention to this issue!