Skinny Fat: Definition, Causes & More - Healthline

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HealthlineSubscribeNutritionWhat Does ‘Skinny Fat’ Mean?

Medically reviewed by Alissa Palladino, MS, RDN, LD, CPT — Written by Daniel Yetman — Updated on February 11, 2025

What does it look like?
Causes
Risks
Dietary factors
Lifestyle changes
‘Skinny fat’ workout
Takeaway

“Skinny fat” is a term that refers to having a high percentage of body fat despite a normal body mass index (BMI).

It’s a common misconception that small or thin bodies are an indicator of good health. But those with higher body fat and lower muscle mass — even if they have a body mass index (BMI) that falls within a “normal” range — may be at risk of developing the following conditions:

insulin resistance
high LDL (bad) cholesterol
high blood pressure

Read on to learn what the term “skinny fat” means and what lifestyle habits may contribute.

What could ‘skinny fat’ look like?

“Skinny fat” doesn’t have a standardized definition and isn’t a medical term. A common medical term for this phenomenon is “metabolic obesity, normal weight.”

It’s usually used to refer to less muscle tone and strength as well as a relatively high body fat percentage despite having a “normal” BMI. This term is often used negatively to describe somebody who isn’t physically fit.

Somebody who is considered “skinny fat” may have a large amount of visceral (abdominal) fat and may not have much muscle definition.

What causes people to be considered ‘skinny fat’?

Everyone’s body is different. Some people are more genetically predisposed to have a higher body fat percentage and less muscle than others.

Other factors like exercise and eating habits, age, and hormone levels can also contribute to body composition.

Exercise and dietary habits

When you exercise, your body releases anabolic hormones that stimulate muscle building. Exercise also increases your sensitivity to insulin, which can lower your risk of developing diabetes.

Exercising regularly can help you avoid hormone changes that negatively affect your body composition and make your body more prone to storing fat.

Eating a diet high in refined sugar can also negatively affect your body composition. A 2019 review of research found a positive correlation between sugar overconsumption and obesity.

Sex

Metabolic obesity can affect anyone, though some research suggests a higher risk among females. This is shown to occur especially with age, as the hormone and body composition changes that accompany menopause tend to promote fat storage and worsen muscle loss.

Age

Older adults may have the highest risk of muscle loss and an increase in body fat due to hormone changes that make it more difficult to maintain muscle.

Age-related muscle loss is called sarcopenia, which is often accompanied by an increase in body fat.

Hormone imbalances

Hormone imbalances may contribute to increased body fat and changes in body fat storage.

For example, declining estrogen levels after menopause can lead to increased fat mass and an increased amount of visceral fat storage in the abdominal cavity.

Who’s at risk of being ‘skinny fat’?

Not getting enough exercise and eating an unbalanced diet may increase the risk of conditions such as:

type 2 diabetes
stroke
cardiovascular disease

The medical term for a normal body weight based on BMI but a metabolic profile that increases the risk of developing metabolic disease is “metabolic obesity, normal weight.”

The five major risk factors for this condition are:

high blood pressure
high blood sugar levels
excess fat around the waist
high triglyceride levels
low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol

People with metabolic obesity, normal weight who are over 65 years old have an elevated risk of all-cause mortality (death from any cause) and death from cardiovascular disease.

Research has also found that a high mass of fat and a combination of low muscle mass and strength may be associated with cognitive decline.

Can your diet cause you to be ‘skinny fat’?

When you eat food high in sugar, your blood sugar rises and your body produces insulin, which allows sugar to be stored in the muscle and liver as glycogen. Excess calories beyond what is needed or can be stored as glycogen are converted to body fat.

Chronically elevated insulin levels can lead to insulin resistance, which happens when your body stops responding to insulin. Insulin resistance is linked to increased body fat, especially around the belly.

Your body needs protein and many other nutrients to efficiently build muscle tissue. Not getting enough essential nutrients in your diet can impair your body’s ability to build muscle.

Recommended dietary measures

Here are some dietary measures that can improve body composition:

Minimize simple carbohydrates and focus on getting most of your carbohydrates from whole grains, fruit, and vegetables.
Include plenty of protein in your diet.
Minimize sugary or high calorie beverages like sodas, alcohol, and juices.
Minimize your consumption of added sugars.
Minimize your intake of ultra-processed foods like pastries, sweetened breakfast cereal, and candy bars.
Eat high protein foods after you exercise.

What lifestyle measures can help?

Your lifestyle habits play a big role in determining your body composition and your overall health.

Along with diet and exercise habits, poor sleep and too much stress can also contribute to increased body fat.

Here are some do’s and don’ts that might help improve your body composition.

Do

Look for ways to minimize stress in your life and make time for stress-relieving activities.
Get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night.
Make exercise part of your weekly routine.
Eat a balanced, nutrient-dense diet, and minimize refined sugar intake.
Break up long periods of sitting with movement breaks.

Don’t

Follow a crash diet in an attempt to lose weight.
Sleep fewer than 7 hours per night.
Consume alcohol in large amounts, either at once or over a long period of time.
Consume caffeine close to bedtime.
Consume more fast foods than nutrient-dense foods.

Are there workouts that can help?

Increasing the amount you exercise may help improve your body composition.

Despite what some websites claim, there’s no specific workout or exercise that is known to reduce “skinny fat” body composition. Instead, look for a type of exercise you enjoy and make it a part of your weekly routine.

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend the following:

Get at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise per week.
Do strength training for all major muscles at least twice per week.

Moderate intensity aerobic exercise

Some examples of moderate intensity aerobic exercise include:

brisk walking
biking
jogging
tennis
dancing
hiking

The takeaway

“Skinny fat” is a term that refers to having a relatively high percentage of body fat and a low amount of muscle mass despite having a “normal” BMI.

People with this body composition may have a heightened risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.

If it’s not already part of your routine, exercising regularly and eating a balanced, nutrient-dense diet can help improve or maintain your body composition.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

About insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. (2024).https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/about/insulin-resistance-type-2-diabetes.html
Anand SS, et al. (2022). Evaluation of adiposity and cognitive function in adults.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2788555
Be smart about sugar. (2023).https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/be-sugar-smart/index.html
Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. (2020).https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf
Faruque S, et al. (2019). The dose makes the poison: Sugar and obesity in the United States - a review.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6959843/
Fenton A. (2021). Weight, shape, and body composition changes at menopause.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8569454
Ismail L, et al. (2021). Association of risk factors with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8050730/
Lee S-H, et al. (2015). A novel criterion for identifying metabolically obese but normal weight individuals using the product of triglycerides and glucose.https://www.nature.com/articles/nutd201446
Mittal B. (2019). Subcutaneous adipose tissue & visceral adipose tissue.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6702693/
Physical activity guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition. (2018).https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf
Pluta W, et al. (2022). Metabolic obesity in people with normal body weight (MONW)—review of diagnostic criteria.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8776153/
Roh E, et al. (2020). Health consequences of sarcopenic obesity: A narrative review.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2020.00332/full
Tips for healthy eating for a healthy weight. (2023).https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/healthy-eating/index.html
What your cholesterol levels mean. (2024).https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/about-cholesterol/what-your-cholesterol-levels-mean
Wilson OWA, et al. (2020). Gender differences in college student physical activity and campus recreational facility use, and comfort.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07448481.2020.1804388
Wondmkun YT. (2020). Obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes: Associations and therapeutic implications.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7553667/
Zouhal H, et al. (2021). Effects of exercise training on anabolic and catabolic hormones with advanced age: A systematic review.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9124654/

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Medically reviewed by Alissa Palladino, MS, RDN, LD, CPT — Written by Daniel Yetman — Updated on February 11, 2025

Skinny Fat: Definition, Causes & More - Healthline

What could ‘skinny fat’ look like?

What causes people to be considered ‘skinny fat’?

Exercise and dietary habits

Sex

Age

Hormone imbalances

Who’s at risk of being ‘skinny fat’?

Can your diet cause you to be ‘skinny fat’?

Recommended dietary measures

What lifestyle measures can help?

Do

Don’t

Are there workouts that can help?

Moderate intensity aerobic exercise

The takeaway

How we reviewed this article:

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