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When Is Skinny Unhealthy?
27-Aug-2012
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It’s a commonly held belief that all fat people are unhealthy and all skinny people are fit. Being skinny can actually be dangerous and unhealthy as well, particularly in the case of the “skinny fat” person.Medically speaking, skinny fat people are called “metabolically obese normal weight,” or “MONW.” New research shows that it’s actually better to be fat and in-shape than thin and flabby.How Many People Are Skinny Fat?We’ve all heard the statistic that nearly 70% of Americans are overweight, with the majority of those overweight people either having diabetes or being pre-diabetic. What not many people realize is that about 1 in 4 of the “skinny” people in the United States are also pre-diabetic and metabolically obese (skinny fat).Skinny Fat Teens
When it comes to teenagers, a recent study showed that 37 percent of the “skinny” teens had one or more warning signs of pre-diabetes, including high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. That means almost 4 out of every 10 “skinny” or normal weight teens are pre-diabetic!
How To Determine If You’re Skinny Fat
If you’re “normal” weight or skinny, don’t assume that you’re healthy. If you have a family history of heart disease or Type 2 diabetes, you should be checked out as soon as possible. Some basic blood tests can help determine if you’re skinny fat, including:- Fasting Blood Sugar or Glucose
- Triglycerides
- HDL
- Blood Pressure
Other tests your doctor may want to do to determine if you’re skinny fat include:- Insulin Response Test
- NMR Lipid Particle Test
How To Prevent Or Treat Skinny Fat
The best treatment for being skinny fat is obviously prevention, but even if you find out that you are indeed skinny fat or pre-diabetic, you can incorporate these strategies into your lifestyle, along with proper medical supervision.
Low-Glycemic Diet – A lot has been written about the glycemic index in the past 10 years and what’s true for fat people trying to lose weight is also true for skinny fat people.
Start With Protein – Start your days off with lean protein rather than empty carbs.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids- incorporate “good” fats into your diet. Olive oil, wild salmon and sardines are great places to start.
Work It Out! You may not want to hear it but strength training and cardio are going to be instrumental in overcoming skinny fat as well.
Don’t assume that just because you, (or your teenagers), are normal weight or skinny that you’re healthy. Get tested for signs of pre-diabetes now and take control of your life.
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