Today I read a Facebook post that mentioned “skinny fat.” I thought that this unfortunate phrase could be either a typo or a joke, but instead discovered that it’s a true health concern. Metabolically-Obese Normal Weight (MONW) is a real condition that increases your risk factors for the same diseases as typically found with obesity (1).
Skinny fat simply means that a person appears to be – and is – a “normal” weight, but they actually have a relatively high body fat percentage.
“Skinny fat” isn’t really a new concept. I found old research going back to 1998, which at that point said that the concept was about 20 years old (2). So, medical practitioners have known about this for 40+ years, but somehow it took Facebook for me to get the message?
Specific factors that appear to predispose MONW, as well as more obese individuals, to insulin resistance include central fat distribution, inactivity, and a low VO2max. Because these factors are potentially reversible and because insulin resistance may contribute to the pathogenesis of many diseases, it is our premise that a compelling argument can be made for identifying MONW individuals and treating them with diet, exercise, and possibly pharmacological agents before these diseases become overt, or at least early after their onset (2).
I added the emphasis to the quotation above, to highlight some key components of the “skinny fat” problem. All three are factors we can address ourselves, potentially at no cost other than some physical work. Let’s look at addressing each:
Central Fat Distribution
A large waist measurement, for both men and women, is a serious risk factor. Some ways to address this problem include moving away from processed foods, adding vigorous exercise, focusing on strength training, sticking with an eating plan that reduces simple carbs, and making a waistline goal of 35” if you’re a woman, or 40” if you’re a man (3). For more on belly fat, watch the video below:
As mentioned in my post on BMI and other measurements, you cannot get a true picture of someone’s health with any single measure. The concept of skinny fat is a prime example of this. Unfortunately, you really can be unhealthy at a BMI of 18.5 – 24.9. https://lindawbrowning.com/2023/02/16/body-measurements-waist-to-hip-ratios/
Low VO2max
VO2max is the volume of oxygen a person can intake within a given time period. It indicates a person’s cardio conditioning, with higher readings corresponding with greater fitness (4). Many watches and fitness trackers provide an estimate of VO2max. My Fitbit does, and I’ve been able to see that spinning/cycling classes are very effective in improving my score. Cycling class is probably a good option as it’s an endurance sport that is set up like high intensity interval training (HIIT). See the quote below to learn more:
Higher VO₂ max scores are associated with endurance sports like running, cycling, and rowing, because they place a higher demand on your cardiovascular system, so endurance workouts will help increase your max as well…Research has found that HIIT training can also “significantly enhance” your VO₂ max. “HIIT places increased demands on the heart and lungs, which forces the body to adapt and raises the volume of oxygen processed,” says Allen Conrad, B.S., D.C., C.S.C.S. (4).
Inactivity
If you’ve read this far, you’ve likely seen that by addressing central fat distribution and low VO2max, inactivity should not be an issue. By adding strength training and endurance/HIIT, you’ll have this covered!
Although the topic of my blog is maintaining a healthy weight, we have to recognize that many factors play a role in optimizing our health. Most of us don’t like the appearance of belly fat, but carrying weight here is much more serious as it affects our health. Let’s keep learning more together as we continue on our maintenance journeys!
(1). https://journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnutrition/Abstract/2016/11000/Lean,_but_not_healthy__the__metabolically_obese,.3.aspx
(2). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9588440/
(4). https://www.shape.com/fitness/tips/what-is-vo2-max-how-improve-vo2-max
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