AIBU to ask what people understand by the phrase skinny fat?

[Ohyesiam]

Do they mean untoned, or that they have a fat bit (butt?) on an otherwise skinny frame, or that they just don’t like their seemingly ok body?

Or something else entirely.

teyem true enough, but I think that applys to every situation in modern life. Every single concept, fact and idea will be monetized by someone. I think as adults we are capable of resisting the bullshit. I try and do my bit by contributing on weight loss threads, just by sharing a bit of common sense and established facts.

Same as Nesssie

Skinny fat is when you are thin but have too much visceral fat around your organs. Like the Michael Mosley explanation.

@CassianAndor it's when you look slim (or a 'healthy' weight) but are actually pretty unhealthy and your organs are wrapped in visceral fat. Basically skinny people who eat, drink and smoke shite.

It is a thing.

Yes I think its to do with having fat round your internal organs too. This is why a slim person could get type 2 diabetes for example which is caused by having a high level of fat around the liver and pancreas.

Sounds like a whole new way to make women feel shitty about their bodies.

I think it means someone who is slim (normal to low BMI) but unfit and untoned. Therefore as healthy perhaps as a larger person (normal to high BMI) who is fit and toned.

VivienneHolt men can be skinny fat too. But nice try sweetie...

I thought it means that you look skinny but you have too much fat around your organs which gives you a higher risk of stroke and heart disease

I thought it meant-you’re slim but with too high body fat % and too low muscle %.

Internal fat.
I worry about this. I have a low BMI and low body fat but who knows what's lurking inside.

I think the fat around your organs is caused by an unhealthy high sugar diet. But just because someone is slim and eats unhealthy doesnt mean they will always have this problem, its also a matter of luck and genetics.
We once had a cat which was like this. It was so skinny all the neighbours felt sorry for it and fed it, but once when it had an op the vet found very large amounts of internal fat.

teyem

Thanks everyone

I googled and got several different replies, but I think I’ll go with the visceral fat explanation.

In terms of the actual phrasing, does it mean capturing an untapped market to bombard with gym memberships and wacky dieting products?

I’d say that’s exactly what it means.

I imagine I am skinny fat. I am not very big but also pretty weak without many muscles. People on here who are the same height and weight as me seem to be in much smaller dress sizes than I am, presumably due to my lack of muscle tone.

Makes me think of my friend. She is a recovered bullimic, and at her worst she was maybe a size 6-8, but with the most horrendous cellulite I've ever seen.

She's beaten it now after many years, and she's probably the same size but her body is phenomenal - toned, muscular and strong.

But nice try sweetie...

😂 what a slam dunk!

Oh I thought it meant people who look in great shape, but eat crap.
So, a good weight, toned and do exercise, but eat high fat/sugar food and then drop down dead with clogged arteries.

It's the opposite of 'he's got a high BMI but is solid muscle'. And probably applies to a lot more people than claim they have a high BMI but lots of muscle. Particularly as we get older we lose muscle mass making it more and more likely with age.

This the reason why BMI cannot be used alone as a measure because it misses a lot of skinny fat people (normal BMI but high body fat percentage). So a lot of people think they're fine but actually they need to build muscle and reduce fat. I'm definitely one of those, BMI is fine but I have lots of belly fat (the worst place for fat) and when I do one of those percentage calculator things at the gym my body fat came out high (weirdly my muscle is quite high as well so I just need to reduce the fat part )

Oh and I don't have good strength which is why I'm working on that now (was only really doing cardio before).