Skinny fat: causes and remedies for the condition of skinny fakes

When we go to a clothing store, what usually worries us is essentially the size of the garment we want to buy. Small or medium? Large or extra large? All these definitions seem to have become synonymous with "thin", "curvy", "plump" and even, for some, "fat". However, the world is not always black or white and sometimes there are people who may appear thin at first glance, but who, instead, have a much higher body fat index than lean or muscle mass index. it is called skinny fat.

What does it mean to be "skinny fat"?

The English definition of "skinny fat" translates to Italian as "lean fat". This is how those people who appear thin, but who, in reality, hide fatty areas in specific areas of the body are called. Skinny fats are both male and female, boys, men or women of all ages. at first glance we would say thin: from clothes, in fact, they seem slender and in perfect physical shape. However, their thinness is false. The skinny fat is indeed an individual who has a predominantly thin constitution, but has usually localized accumulations of fat.

The adipose parts of skinny fats vary according to gender. In men they are usually in the abdomen, lower abdomen and sometimes hips. In this way, they are lean in the arms, chest, thighs and legs, but have excess fatty tissue in the abdominal area and all of that. it leads to the so-called "belly", as difficult to get rid of as it is unpleasant to see.In the case of women, however, this condition can occur in the hips, buttocks and thighs.

© Getty Images

The different types of "thin" people

In technical jargon, being thin is an ectomorph. Hence, a body is ectomorph when it has a long-limbed, slender structure, with long levers, dry hips and with little or medium musculature. The ectomorphs are, in general, naturally thin subjects.

However, there are two different types of ectomorphs. The first is that of an individual ripped ectomorph or muscular, with a low percentage of body fat. These individuals usually lead a very active lifestyle, have good and evident musculature and have a high body temperature.

Regarding the second type, however, we find that of the "ectomorph skinny fat also called lean-fat. Here the percentage of body fat is medium-high, with localized fat. The lifestyle of skinny fats tends to be inactive and prone to laziness, their muscles are poor and they have soft stomachs and hips.

© Getty Images

The causes

Why can a man or woman become skinny fat? Very often, the answer is to be found in nutrition. In fact, an individual may be slender and have a particularly fast metabolism by nature, but this "gift" received from genetics or chance should never be underestimated.

Continuing to eat unhealthy, following an unbalanced and incorrect diet, always affects the body even if not in terms of weight gain on the scale. For this reason many boys, men and adult women find themselves suffering from the condition of skinny fat: consuming alcohol and eating foods containing many calories and carbohydrates leads to the accumulation of fat on the abdomen area and the infamous unsightly belly or an excess of fat on the hips and buttocks.

Another cause of skinny fat can be the opposite, that is when an individual has followed a very stringent weight loss diet and has been carrying out fitness training only of aerobic or cardio type for a long time. Surely, diet and sport have succeeded. to decrease fat mass and have allowed a significant weight loss, but the abdominal fat is the most difficult to get rid of and this explains the condition of some false lean.

Finally, many skinny fat people are fat due to disorders related to thyroid malfunction. This gland is responsible for the production of hormones that also regulate metabolism and in the case of incorrect functioning, curable repercussions can be had not so much from a correct diet as from a therapy prescribed by an endocrinologist.

© Getty Images

The right diet as a remedy for skinny fat

As we have seen, the majority of skinny fat male and female people have bad eating habits that need to be corrected. The first solution, therefore, is to study a diet that increases the consumption of proteins to the detriment of carbohydrates, or a so-called ketogenic plan - or simply keto. Carbohydrates are largely replaced by cereals and foods containing fiber, the amount of healthy fats must be stable and, at the same time, the increase in proteins, responsible for the health of the muscles and the good constitution of the tendons, should not be done without careful checking.

Experts recommend establishing the daily protein intake around 2 grams per kilogram of body weight and all this must be accompanied by a specific workout. Excessive consumption of proteins due to an incorrect keto diet can lead to various disorders, including dehydration and an "excess of ketosis, which is a molecule considered" waste "by the body.

Finally, a question may arise spontaneously: how much weight do you need to lose? In the case of "lean-fat", the important thing is to go below the set point, that is the percentage of fat in the human body. The value of the set point is individual, genetically determined and cannot be changed. We could define it as the percentage of body fat that the body considers "ideal" and that it tends to. For this reason, we recommend that you consult a specialist in order to obtain a personalized meal plan.

© Getty Images

The ideal workout for skinny fats

To reduce fat mass in favor of lean mass and to stabilize the set point value, we must not only look at nutrition. It is necessary to combine the right diet with correct training and choose the sport that suits your needs. It is usually believed that for losing weight is ideal for a cardio - or aerobic - type workout, but this is not always the case. Running, tennis, cycling help promote weight loss, but not muscle mass gain.

Thus, for skinny fat men and women, proper weight training is far more important than building muscles. These fitness exercises help increase mass and improve muscle strength and, especially at the beginning, it is good to be followed by a personal trainer.

Skinny fat