You Mean Being Thin Isn't Enough? Health-Related Nuances of Skinny Fat / Skinny Fit

In my last blog post I addressed some of the most common myths that seem to prevent a lot of women from stepping OFF of the treadmill and INTO the weight room. If my arguments didn’t convince you to pick up a dumbbell, then let me use another approach. 

In this article, I want to look at a rising health issue that is affecting both men and women and which can, coincidentally, be helped by the inclusion of more resistance training in your exercise program: Normal Weight Obesity.

A study by the Mayo Clinic that looked at data from over 6,000 Americans with normal body size (as determined by BMI) found that those with a high percentage of body fat were at a significantly greater anticipatory risk of heart issues, than those with lower amounts of fat. The lead cardiologist Fransico Lopez-Jimenez went on record saying that the bodies of these individuals “behave like they are obese, but they are not”.

With this study in mind, we can assume the following statement is true:

SKINNY ≠ HEALTHY

On the contrary, not only does being ‘skinny fat’ place you in the danger zone for future heart conditions, but the skinnier you get - the more you place yourself at risk for conditions such as osteoperosis. In the absence of muscle mass, your body calibrates itself to handle it’s lightened load. As a consequence, it begins to shed excess resources in the form of one it’s most invaluable resources: bone density.

The Solution:

Within the context of this article, my focus is on raising awareness on the importance of strength-training in women. Thus, the solution (given proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle is in place) is simple:

Resistance Training 3 times a week will help to shift your body from skinny FAT to skinny FIT. Start with one day a week and slowly make the shift up - I think many will be surprised at the energy kick it can provide.

Cardio?

Don’t get me wrong - Cardio is a great form of exercise. However, using excessive cardio to ‘burn fat’ or ‘lose weight’ is a sure fire strategy to increase the rate at which your existing muscle is lost, slinging you into the skinny fat category just that much faster. There’s a time and a place for everything, and just like you would balance dietary intake; exercise programs need to be managed to address the body’s needs entirely, not just in part.

A Final Takeaway …

Let me just leave you with a final picture for your consideration. Both women are a size 2 but the difference is apparent … Which one would you rather look like?

           

Reference:

Romero-Corral, A., Somers, S.K., Sierra-Johnson, J., Korenfeld, Y., Boarin, S., Korinek, J., Jensen, M.D., Parati, G., & Lopez-Jimenez, F. (2010). Normal weight obesity: a risk factor for cardiometabolic dysregulation and cardiovascular mortality. European Heart Journal, 31(6), 737-746.