Skinny Fat People – What Does Skinny Fat Look Like?

The latest scientific research (1) indicates that roughly two-thirds (66%) of the population is experiencing skinny fat. A lot of misinformation and confusion exists around what skinny fat means. How are skinny fat people defined and what does skinny fat look like?

Just as muscle tissue (2) and white/yellow fat tissue (regular/common adipose tissue)(3) are separate, unique tissues, skinny fat is unique tissue (4, 5). For instance, this PhD scientist and professional trainer is within safe Standard BMI at 22.7, which by BMI definition (6, 7, 8) means they do not have too much/any excess regular white/yellow body fat (common adipose tissue).

Yet, they have obvious “weird fat tissue” on their lower back and love handles.

No process (9, 10, 11) exists in the human body that would cause the muscle tissue on their love handles and lower back — and ONLY their love handles and lower back —  to turn into any kind of fat tissue, including skinny fat. Muscle tissue does not turn into fat tissue, or vice versa. This is not how human tissue works. That “weird fat tissue” is unique thin fat skinny fat tissue (2, 3, 4, 5).

Skinny Fat People – What Does Skinny Fat Look Like?

What is the cause of skinny fat tissue (thin fat, cellulite)? Some people claim it is caused by poor diet, particularly too little protein and too many carbs. Others say that poor exercise is to blame, specifically too much cardio and too little weightlifting. In general, the idea is that lost muscle tissue turns into skinny fat tissue. If that is true (it is not, as already mentioned), then it is true for all human beings.

Here is genetically blessed Christian Bale when he lost a significant amount of weight including obvious lost muscle tissue.

Thus, by losing muscle tissue – and a lot of muscle tissue to the point of being emaciated – he should be experiencing skinny fat, right?

Yet, he is showing no signs of any skinny fat tissue anywhere on his body. The muscle definition remains clear, thanks to his stellar genetics.

Elite Athletes – Skinny Fat People

Roughly 1700 (12) people make up NFL player rosters. That is significantly less than 1% of the population, which is the definition of elite. Yet, some are experiencing skinny fat, and depending on which sport and which position, a lot are experiencing skinny fat tissue.

Here is 2013 first-round Tennessee Titan draft pick (10th) offensive lineman/guard Chance Warmack (13, 14) in the best shape of his life with obvious skinny fat tissue (thin fat) on his love handles and lower stomach, no less.

In other words, he lacks genetic default muscle mass on his love handles and lower stomach, at least, and has since birth (2, 3, 4, 5). Genetics.

The same is true for these rookie Buffalo Bills offensive linemen (15):

As well as these Miami Dolphins offensive linemen:

And these varied NFL offensive linemen (16):

Even elite three-time Super Bowl champion NFL TE Travis Kelce is experiencing skinny fat:

Skinny fat tissue — thin fat, cellulite — is genetic. Diet, exercise, and lifestyle influence skinny fat, but no amount of diet, exercise, or lifestyle magically turns muscle tissue into skinny fat tissue, or skinny fat tissue into muscle tissue.

Please post further examples of ‘elite athletes experiencing skinny fat’ in the comments below.

How Do I Know If I Am Skinny Fat?

As of January 2025, no official medical diagnosis exists for your doctor to diagnose skinny fat tissue. Even if you underwent a reliable and accurate body composition analysis using an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan machine (gold standard)(17, 18, 19) or CT/CAT (computed tomography) (20, 21, 22) scan device, neither can currently discern the difference between skinny fat tissue and regular fat tissue.

A DEXA/DXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan (23, 24, 25) is more common and widespread in terms of body composition, although it cannot discern skinny fat tissue either.  Known to be the gold standard for bone density scans, it is much more inaccurate and unreliable (26, 27, 28) when it comes to muscle tissue and any kind of fat tissue.

BIA (bioelectrical impedance analysis)(29, 30), ADF (air displacement plethysmography)(31, 32), body fat % calculations (33, 34) including body/waist circumference measurements (35), hip-to-waist ratio (36), and body fat percentage formulas (37, 38, 33), and the like are even more inaccurate while completely failing to discern skinny fat tissue, and the latter are really just lean body mass (LBM) and regular fat guesstimates at best, and plain wrong at worst.

Scientifically Determine Skinny Fat

The Scientific Body Type Quiz was developed using the latest science including 50+ vetted scientific variables to accurately determine if you are experiencing skinny fat tissue (thin fat, cellulite) where you should have genetic default muscle tissue, where on your body, and how it affects your body shape, no less.

The Scientific Health Quizzes — Scientific Metabolism Quiz, Scientific Diet Quiz, Scientific Exercise Quiz, and Scientific Lifestyle Quiz — all help paint an accurate, whole picture of your current health choices. Scientifically understanding your unique genetic body composition and metabolism relative to diet, exercise, and lifestyle help you safely lose regular fat weight and sustainably keep it off, add muscle mass and maintain it, and be healthy. While helping reduce skinny fat, if you are genetically experiencing it.

There are free options available. All accounts are free, anonymous, private, and secure.

How Do I Know If I Am Skinny Fat – What Is Skinny Fat Science?

References

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3. Skinny Fat Science: Are Regular Fat and Skinny Fat the Same Thing?, August 28, 2024. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/are-regular-fat-and-skinny-fat-the-same-thing/
4. Skinny Fat Science: What Is Skinny Fat?, July 26, 2024. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/what-is-skinny-fat/
5. Skinny Fat Science: Is Skinny Fat Genetic?, November 27, 2024. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/is-skinny-fat-genetic/
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