Can a skinny person have more fat than a fat person?

Author: Elliott Lockman  |  Last update: Monday, December 22, 2025

The term skinny fat or normal weight obesity (NWO) refers to a person who is normal or below normal weight but has a higher than optimal body fat percentage and often lower than optimal lean body mass. A person with a skinny fat body type can have very high amounts of body fat as compared to a lean body mass.

Can a skinny person have a high body fat percentage?

Skinny fat people are often a normal weight (or underweight!) but because of their sedentariness, lack of muscle, or poor diet, they have a high percentage of body fat. Often, skinny fat people are at risk of certain medical issues as listed: Raised blood sugar, leading to insulin resistance or diabetes.

Can skinny fat people be obese?

Thin fat obesity has been known by several names in the scientific literature. Names such as normal weight obesity, metabolic obesity, metabolically unhealthy non-obese, skinny fat, and sarcopenic obesity(especially in elderly) have been used in the past (5, 11).

Why am I skinny but have lots of fat?

If you are thin anywhere, however your stomach, your genetics may definitely predispose you to storing fat from excess calories there. Certain types of food also are much more likely to reason you to accumulate center fats. Sugary ingredients and refined, white carbohydrates are culprits.

Can you be skinny but chubby?

You cannot have a low bodyfat percentage & still be considered skinny fat. Skinny fat people have high body fat relative to their muscle mass. So yes, they're small or would be put in ``Skinny'' category but they still have excess fat.

Skinny Fat Explained - Dealing with Being Skinny but Belly Fat Lingers

Why am I skinny but have belly fat?

One reason for belly fat is a sedentary lifestyle. Even skinny people can spend too much time in front of the television or computer screen, and this can encourage what little extra fat they have to settle into the stomach. A diet high in processed foods can also cause belly fat, even in skinny people.

What is skinny but high fat?

Skinny fat, or skinny fat body type, refers to being a moderate weight or underweight but having a higher proportion of body fat than is healthy. Skinny fat also means having lower than ideal lean body mass, which includes everything in the body except the fat, such as the organs, bones, muscles, blood, and skin.

Am I fat or skinny fat?

The recommended ranges for healthy men are between 10-20% body fat, and for women, the ranges are 18-28%. If your body fat exceeds these ranges, but you have a normal weight when you stand on the scale, you may be skinny fat.

Why are my legs skinny but my stomach fat?

Sometimes, you may see that fat accumulation is just around the midsection even if your legs are skinny. The two S's, stress and sugar, have an effect on the size of your abdomen. Abdominal weight gain can be caused by various medical disorders and hormonal changes.

Why do I weigh 200 pounds but don't look fat?

Lean muscle mass is more compact than fat. If you are muscular you can weigh quite a bit and not look fat. A person can be an ideal weight and have a lot of fat and look bulky. Another person can be overweight and have mostly muscle mass, and look lean and healthy.

What weight is considered skinny?

Women with a BMI of less than 18.5 are considered underweight. The average woman's height is 5 feet, 4 inches. If you weigh 107 pounds or less at this height, you are considered underweight with a BMI of 18.4. A healthy weight range for that woman would be 108 to 145 pounds.

Is skinny fat easy to lose?

That said, most people can go from skinny fat to fit in about 3-to-6 months of diligently following a proper diet and training program.

Why is my waist so big but I'm not fat?

Causes of a High Waist Circumference

A larger waist circumference is often caused by intra-abdominal visceral fat. Visceral fat is fat that develops between and around internal organs. This type of fat differs from "regular" fat that sits just beneath the skin and can be pinched.

How to reverse skinny fat?

How to Eliminate Skinny Fat
  1. Try NEAT workouts. Sometimes skinny fat is caused by being sedentary for the majority of the day. ...
  2. Do more weight training. ...
  3. Strengthen your core. ...
  4. Eat more protein. ...
  5. Enter a sustainable calorie deficit. ...
  6. Get more sleep. ...
  7. Develop a consistent, manageable routine.

What burns the most belly fat?

Aerobic exercise includes any activity that raises your heart rate such as walking, dancing, running or swimming. This can also include doing housework, gardening and playing with your children. Other types of exercise such as strength training, Pilates and yoga can also help you lose belly fat.

Why is my body fat percentage so high but I'm skinny?

Like most things, genetics, and lifestyle both play a role in developing NWO. Some individuals are genetically prone to the condition as they tend to store more visceral fat (abdominal fat) and less subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin) than their normal weight, metabolically healthy, counterparts.

Can you be chubby and skinny?

“Skinny Fat” is a term used when we look skinny or of a normal weight and seem healthy, yet still have a high body fat composition with its associated health issues. To be clear, this is when you may have a normal weight and BMI, yet have more fat and not enough muscle optimal for health.

How to tell if you are fat?

Body mass index (BMI)
  1. below 18.5 – you're in the underweight range.
  2. 18.5 to 24.9 – you're in the healthy weight range.
  3. 25 to 29.9 – you're in the overweight range.
  4. 30 to 39.9 – you're in the obese range.
  5. 40 or above – you're in the severely obese range.

Why are my legs so fat but I'm skinny?

Lipoedema is more common in women. It usually affects both sides of the body equally. Lipoedema can make your bottom, thighs, lower legs and sometimes your arms look out of proportion with the rest of the body. In early-stage lipoedema, you may have bigger legs, a narrow waist and a much smaller upper body.

What is hidden fat?

Visceral fat, also known as toxic fat, is hidden inside your body on and around your vital organs. Visceral fat can cause health issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. Visceral fat is caused by eating more calories than you burn and not moving enough.

Am I skinny fat or just fat?

“Skinny fat” describes people who look good, suggesting they're a healthy weight for their height, yet beneath the surface, they have high body fat percentage and low muscle mass. The scientific term for age-related muscle loss is sarcopenia. Being skinny fat can be even more dangerous than being outwardly obese.

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