Slim people are not necessarily healthy

The other day, as I was taking my morning jog, I heard some women behind me wonder aloud why someone with a small body was exercising.

“What fat is she trying to burn?” one of them asked.

I have overheard many people pointing out how blessed they are that they can eat typically anything and they never add weight.

There is a big misconception that small/skinny equals healthy.

Here is the thing, a person can have normal weight and an ideal Body Mass Index, but also have high body fat percentage in relation to muscle mass.

In some cases, the body fats are too high that such a person may be considered obese even though they have a normal BMI. This is a condition known as normal weight obesity or skinny fat.

Knowing your body mass index is not enough as BMI does not give you a complete picture of how healthy you are since it does not measure the actual body fat.

A person with normal BMI may have their body fat percentage elevated enough to increase the risk of many health conditions including diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases, just like in an obese person.

Due to a low ratio of muscle mass to fat mass, most normal weight obese individuals will look slim and fit while dressed but portray a different picture when undressed.

It is not uncommon to see flabbiness on their stomach area, underarms and upper leg. Mild cellulite will also be seen in some especially on the thighs and buttock area.

Excessive build

Pot belly, also known as central obesity, develops when there is excessive build up of fat around the stomach.

An unhealthy lifestyle, characterised by poor dietary habits and lack of physical exercises is the main contributor to development of pot bellies.

Central obesity increases risk to Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Pot belly on a trim person is one of the signs of normal weight obesity.

If you have a normal weight but you are slowly increasing your belt size and your clothes are starting to feel tighter around your waist, take it as a warning sign. Even if you can eat junk food daily and guzzle several litres of sodas every week without adding any weight, it does not mean you are healthy.

Poor eating habits affect your nutrient intake and results in excess consumption of some nutrients while under consuming others that are essential for normal body functions.

For overall good health, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise for at least five days per week, or 20 minutes of high intensity exercises for at least three days per week for adults. Even though most individuals with a normal weight lack the incentive to exercises regularly, their ideal weight does not cancel out the increased morbidity and mortality associated with an inactive lifestyle.

Body composition analysis is important for every individual. Weight and BMI assessment on their own are not adequate assessment tools.

Overweight or not, people should aim at having a body composition assessment done at least once per year, together with other health assessments. Healthy eating and regular physical exercises are not just for people trying to cut weight — are meant for everyone regardless of weight, age or body shape.

Just because a person looks fit and healthy on the surface does not necessarily mean they are fit and healthy inside.