A Message to All “Skinny” People

I have noticed that most of my topics/ posts revolve mainly around losing weight. To me, being someone who was over weight, that was the 1st step in getting healthy. So it’s natural that most of my posts have that underlying tone.

It has occurred to me through this process that most “skinny” people probably believe they are healthier than us “fat” people just cause they are thinner. Well I call B.S.

The thought that I’m actually healthier than most “thin”people hit like a ton of bricks when I was talking to an old friend at the gym. I explained to him that at the time I had lost 60 lbs over the last 8 months. He was genuinely excited but when I told him how much I currently weighed, the expression on his face was anything but pleased.

Grant you, 263lbs wasn’t exactly great. (im now 245 so what then!) Though it’s 100 times better than 325, it’s still high on the BMI chart. (I think the BMI chart is complete crap but it’s what doctors use) So I understand his reaction. I know my road to being “healthy” is long but that doesn’t mean his thinking is right. Honestly, I’d put my vitals up against any “skinny” person any day of the week. I eat right, do a combination of cardio/ weight training 5 days a week, I get 8 hours of sleep each night, I don’t smoke, drink heavily or do any type of drug. The worst thing someone could say about me is that I don’t handle stress all that well and that’s only because I’m extremely impatient.

So overall, I’m a very healthy person. The sad part is that those people who have a naturally thin frame or have an already high metabolism aren’t as aware that they might be unhealthy as someone who weighs say 250 or even 400 lbs..

I found a very interesting article on MSNBC.com that explains this very thought. I highly support reading the entire article.

Some doctors now think that the internal fat surrounding vital organs like the heart, liver or pancreas — invisible to the naked eye — could be as dangerous as the more obvious external fat that bulges underneath the skin.

“Being thin doesn’t automatically mean you’re not fat,” said Dr. Jimmy Bell, a professor of molecular imaging at Imperial College, London. Since 1994, Bell and his team have scanned nearly 800 people with MRI machines to create “fat maps” showing where people store fat.  According to the data, people who maintain their weight through diet rather than exercise are likely to have major deposits of internal fat, even if they are otherwise slim.

“The whole concept of being fat needs to be redefined,” said Bell, whose research is funded by Britain’s Medical Research Council. Without a clear warning signal — like a rounder middle — doctors worry that thin people may be lulled into falsely assuming that because they’re not overweight, they’re healthy.

Here’s the data that should scare the living bajezus out of any person who thinks they are healthy:

Of the women scanned by Bell and his colleagues, as many as 45 percent of those with normal BMI scores (20 to 25) actually had excessive levels of internal fat. Among men, the percentage was nearly 60 percent.

That’s a staggering percent. What’s that old saying? “What you don’t know won’t kill you”…That couldn’t be further from the truth.

I will admit being thin is technically better than being overweight..but only technically… Having excess body fat puts tremendous amount pressure on your heart, lungs and other organs. It can lead to a plethora of medical issues as well. So, if you’re overweight don’t read this and use it as an excuse for not exercising. You’re still overweight and need to get healthy. And if you’re thin don’t be so naive as to think you’ll live a long life just cause you’re scale says so. Not every person who had a heart attack weighed 300+ lbs.

I hope this has opened your eyes and made you understand that being healthy isn’t about your weight. It’s about eating right, getting enough sleep, exercising consistently and living a healthy lifestyle. I also hope this has inspired you to put down the double cheeseburger and pick up the dumb bell instead…Simple choices can lead to amazing results.

Be well,

Lyell