Are you a skinny person with belly fat? Check why?

Many people think that if you are overweight you must be unhealthy and if you are thin or slim you must be healthy. Not so fast with this assumption!

The medical term for the issue I want to discuss is ‘Metabolically Obese Normal Weight’ (MONW) which commonly we call a skinny fat person. This person doesn’t have enough muscles and have some accumulation of fat especially in the abdomen area. Many thin women and men who I see in my practice complain of having a soft larger belly.

I always recommend finding the underlying causes of belly fat prior to getting ABS exercise at the gym club.

Why we are concerned about belly fat?

Fat that is deeply located in the abdomen and surrounds the organs a.k.a visceral fat causes dangerous risk for cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease. This fat is much unsafe than having some fat right under the skin. I also want to point out that a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded: 1 in 4 skinny individuals are in pre-diabetes stage and are metabolically obese!

Here are several factors causing excess belly fat

Muscles vs. fat in the body. On the surface a person can be thin or skinny but it doesn’t mean is healthy. This person will have much less muscles versus more fat in the body putting himself at risk of pre-diabetes, according to the American Medical Association.

Lack of exercise and dieting. A person who restricts drastically eating and do not exercise can develop large deposits of visceral fat. This person may not even develop belly fat, so he will not know that his body accumulated too much internal fat.

Insulin (hormone). This hormone spikes when sugary food is ingested causing sugar cravings as well as the storage of fat. Insulin is significant in storing fat not only in overweight people but also in skinny individuals, leading to a fat belly. This hormone also causes muscles loss and increases inflammation in the body.

TOFI category – Thin Outside but Fat Inside. Dr. Jimmy Bell, professor at Imperial College in London, observed that this category people eat too much sugar and saturated fat, but not enough food to increase a total weight. He stated that these people might be depositing fat deep in the belly that is not visible outside.

Hormonal changes. The Mayo Clinic reports that some menopausal women break down and store fat differently than pre-menopausal women. These changes may cause fat deposition in the belly.

Age. Some people, not all, as they age gain belly fat due to slowing metabolism. I observed that equally men and women are prone to this issue if food and exercise are neglected.

Hereditary aspect. Some people are prone to develop belly fat but their legs and arms remain slim. This effect is due to familial characteristics. Unfortunately this type of fat is hormonally active and may cause health issues.

What I recommend to obtain flat belly and healthy body fat?

1.      Eat a Low-Glycemic Food such as animal protein, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans. I usually recommend eating non-gluten grain as a condiment not as a main meal.

2.      Start your day with proteins to power your day and control hunger.

3.      Eliminate high caloric drinks like sodas, pop, fruit juices, power drinks and limit your wine intake to 2-3 glasses a week.

4.      Completely eliminate ‘factory food’ loaded with MSG, corn syrup, artificial colors and preservatives.

5.      Eat healthy organic and cold pressed oils such as olive oil and omega-3 in sardines, mackerel or wild salmon.

6.      Workout every day. I like when my clients are doing cardio and muscle resistance. Both elements are important to boost metabolism and improve blood circulation, so they won’t be skinny fat individuals.

7.      Sleep enough and well. I can’t emphasize enough that sleep deprivation ruins your metabolism and increases craving. The bedroom should be comfortable for resting, cool, dark and ventilated.

8.      Don’t forget the supplements. The most important supplements to balance blood sugar and boost metabolism are multivitamins, fish oil (EPA:DHA) and vit D3. You should take them daily.

Those of us who are thin, do not eat well and rarely workout, should get tested to check own health. This article explains that some of us can be skinny but not healthy without knowing it.

If you have questions please contact me and I will be happy to work with you on improving your health.

I would like to hear from you!

To your health,

Maria Pawlicka M.Sc., BAA, CNP

Certified and Registered Nutritionist