Scientific Skinny Fat MRI Study – Proving What Skinny Fat Is

There is only one way to definitely prove what skinny fat is, a proper IRB protocol (1, 2) scientific MRI study focused on specific body composition scans. A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)(3, 4, 5) machine is the only technology capable — MR spectroscopy (6, 7, 11), Dixon Imaging (8, 9, 10), T2-weighted (9, 10, 11), etc. — of properly discerning the difference between muscle tissue, white/yellow fat tissue, brown fat tissue, beige fat tissue, and skinny fat tissue (thin fat, cellulite)(12), at least.

Scientific Skinny Fat MRI Study – Proving What Skinny Fat It Is

For instance, see this professional trainer’s (middle picture) lower back and love handles:

They have no visceral fat/belly fat, no excess body fat (white/yellow fat) at a safe BMI of 22.7, and no low muscle mass — all supposed signs of skinny fat according to Google and nearly everyone everywhere. Yet, they have obvious “weird fat” tissue on their lower back and love handles:

No process exists in the human body that would cause that person’s muscle tissue on their love handles and lower back to turn into any kind of fat tissue. This is not how human tissue works (13, 14, 15, 16).

According to our theory, that “weird fat” (subcutaneous) is unique genetic skinny fat tissue (thin fat)(12) that exists where genetic default muscle tissue should be but is not. The only way we can prove this is with a proper MRI study.

Classic Case of Normal-Weight Obesity (Skinny Fat)

Research Participant 1170 (31) started at a safe BMI of 24.6 with obvious normal-weight obesity. 

They safely lost more regular fat weight down to a safe BMI of 21.3 and the normal-weight obesity remains. The thin fat and cellulite (types of skinny fat) where genetic muscle tissue should are obvious as well, and remain throughout.

What if Research Participant 1170 were to reduce their regular white/yellow body fat to an underweight BMI of 18.49 or less?

Would the thin fat and cellulite go away? No, it would not — there is no FDA-approved way to get rid of cellulite or thin fat, you can only reduce it. And like this person (20) who lost weight down to a BMI of 8, any eating disorder person eventually learns and can tell you that you cannot starve away skinny fat. You can technically lose 100% of your regular white/yellow fat, yet your skinny fat (thin fat and/or cellulite) will remain down to any BMI. But they would no longer be normal-weight obese. We can prove this with our MRI Study.

What if Research Participant 1170 were to increase their regular white/yellow body fat to an overweight BMI of 25+ or 30+ obese?

Would the thin fat and cellulite go away? No, it would not. Again, at this time, no FDA-approved way exists to get rid of cellulite or thin fat, you can only reduce it. Their skinny fat would remain up to any BMI. But they would no longer be normal-weight obese. Yet, they are still experiencing skinny fat (thin fat, cellulite). We can only prove this with a proper MRI Study.

Skinny fat is so much more complex than the initial 2016 NIH definition (30). Science is ever-evolving and things become more clear as more data, evidence, and facts roll in. Which our MRI Study can provide and achieve.

What Is A Normal/Average Human Body?

According to mainstream science/medicine, every human being is born is an “average/normal” Standard Body Type One (BT1)(17) with all 600+ muscles fully developed (unless they are diagnosed with some abnormality, but they are still a Standard BT1 just with a specific diagnosis). The only reason you do not look like a Standard BT1 is because you are eating too many calories above Standard BMR taking you outside of safe Standard BMI (18.5 to 24.99) due to excess regular white/yellow body fat (common adipose tissue) (12). Stop overeating, lose the excess regular fat weight, and voila, you are once again a Standard BT1.

But, our research shows this is simply not true; all human beings are not born in s Standard Body Type One. Some people are born with more muscle tissue, and some with less. Those born with less are experiencing skinny fat tissue. We can only prove this with proper MRI scans. 

Overview Protocol, Scientific Skinny Fat MRI Study

This is the MRI Study hypothesis.

A university(s) with the proper MRI scan technology(s) and a robust enough student body is required, and possibly more than one depending on how many scans, availability, and the like. We need no less than 100 scans for viable data, but 200 to 500 would be best. Major hurdles include the fact that MRI scans are very expensive and availability is tricky.

1 – Set a baseline. We will have random, diverse university students take the Scientific Body Type Quiz (18) to determine enough Standard Body Type One’s — which will be verified by an official MRI scan — to set a proper baseline — like Research Participant 1000 (19) and Research Participant 1088 (20). Both are a Standard Body Type One (BT1):

2 – Have random, diverse university students take the Scientific Body Type Quiz to determine if they qualify for an MRI scan. If they do qualify, they will sign up for an official MRI scan and then undergo an official MRI scan.

3 – Each official MRI scan will be analyzed/read/documented (data) by a qualified, expert MD radiologist – at least one radiologist but two to three is best for the most accurate data/results.

4 – All scientific MRI data will then be properly analyzed and processed by a qualified, expert data scientist(s).

5 – Peer-review submission and review.

Study Goals & Further Details

*Provide medical doctors a first-ever official way to diagnose skinny fat (as of April 2025, there is no official way for medical doctors to diagnose it)(12)

*Provide the average person/anyone a safe, private, anonymous, secure, cost-effective, user-friendly, easy-access online way to accurately determine their body composition — particularly skinny fat — without an expensive or hard-to-access MRI scan (we will be adding AI to the Scientific Body Type Quiz to automate it and make it more accurate)

*Mitigate the skinny fat crisis (21, 22, 23, 24, 29)

*Mitigate the obesity epidemic (24, 25, 29)

*Mitigate the mental health crisis (26, 27, 28, 29) including body dysmorphia and eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, Binge Eating Disorder/BED, etc.) among girls/young females and males, no less

*Improve human health globally by helping people understand what skinny fat is and the best diet, exercise, and lifestyle to manage it

*Accurately predict injury risk in athletes, at least, which helps with sports recruiting, no less (if a player lacks genetic muscle tissue, they lack relative strength, no less, which can equate to a higher risk of injury – as well, it can equate to proactive risk management to reduce the risk of injury)

Within IRB protocol, we would also like to utilize social media to mitigate misinformation and disinformation, which is widespread. Moreover, the MRI Study will help clarify Google searches by influencing rankings and AI.

If you would like help, please spread the word, comment below, and consider a donation.

Skinny Fat Is More Than Just Normal-Weight Obesity (Hypothesis)

References

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office For Human Research Protections: Institutional Review Board (IRB) Written Procedures: Guidance for Institutions and IRBs, August 2016. https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/requests-for-comments/guidance-for-institutions-and-irbs/index.html
2. Stanford University, Stanford Research Compliance Office: Human Subjects (IRB), Updated March 2025. https://researchcompliance.stanford.edu/panels/hs
3. Cleveland Clinic: Magnetic Imaging Resonance (MRI), May 8, 2022. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/4876-magnetic-resonance-imaging-mri
4. Mayo Clinic: MRI, September 9, 2023. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/mri/about/pac-20384768
5. Wikipedia: Magnetic resonance imaging. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_resonance_imaging
6. NIH, National Library of Medicine: Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: Principles and Techniques: Lessons for Clinicians, November 12, 2015, Joshua M Tognarelli, Mahvish Dawood, Mohamed IF Shariff, Vijay PB Grover, Mary ME Crossey, I Jane Cox, Simon D Taylor-Robinson, and Mark JW McPhail. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4723643/
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8. NIH, National Library of Medicine: Applications of the Dixon technique in the evaluation of the musculoskeletal system, January-February 2021, Carolina Freitas Lins, Carlos Ernesto Garrido Salmon, and Marcello Henrique Nogueira-Barbosa. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7869722/
9. NIH, National Library of Medicine: FSE T2-weighted two-point Dixon technique for fat suppression in the lumbar spine: comparison with SPAIR technique, May 1, 2018, Sangmin Lee, Dae Seob Choi, Hwa Seon Shin, Hye Jin Baek, Ho Cheol Choi, and Sung Eun Park. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7869722/
10. ScienceDirect: T2-weighted Dixon MRI of the spine: A feasibility study of quantitative vertebral bone marrow analysis, July–August 2021, Volume 102, Issues 7–8, Pages 431-438, Ricardo Donners, Anna Hirschmann, Andreas Gutzeit, and Dorothee Harder. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221156842100036X
11. NIH, National Library of Medicine: MR-based assessment of body fat distribution and characteristics, August 2016, Thomas Baum, Christian Cordes, Michael Dieckmeyer, Stefan Ruschke, Daniela Franz, Hans Hauner, Jan S Kirschke, and Dimitrios C Karampinos. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26905521/
12. Skinny Fat Science: What Is Skinny Fat?, July 26, 2024. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/skinny-fat-science/what-is-skinny-fat/
13. Healthline: Does Fat Turn into Muscle? What to Know, March 2, 2021, Katey Davidson, MScFN, RD, CPT (Medically reviewed by Jake Tipane, CPT). https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/does-fat-turn-into-muscle
14. NIH, National Library of Medicine: Muscle-to-fat interaction: a two-way street?, January 1, 2010, Bente K Pedersen. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2821541/
15. The New York Times: The Claim: Muscle Turns to Fat When You Stop Working Out, July 26, 2006, Anahad O’Connor. https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/26/health/nutrition/the-claim-muscle-turns-to-fat-when-you-stop-working-out.html
16. Skinny Fat Science: How To Fix Skinny Fat, July 27, 2014. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/skinny-fat-science/how-to-fix-skinny-fat/
17. Britannica: human muscle system, Shane W. Cummings and Robin Huw Crompton (Fact-checked by the Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/human-muscle-system
18. Scientific Health Quizzes: Scientific Body Type Quiz (Official), https://scientificbodytypequiz.fellowone.com/product/scientific-body-type-quiz-official/
19. Fellow One Research: Body Type Test (Quiz) Results 1000 – Body Type One (BT1) Male (Man), Millennial (Generation Y). https://www.fellowone.com/fellow-one-research/the-four-body-types/body-type-quiz/body-type-test-quiz-results-1000-body-type-one-bt1-male-man-millennial-generation-y/
20. Fellow One Research: Body Type Test (Quiz) Results 1088 – Body Type One (BT1) Male (Man), Millennial (Generation Y). https://www.fellowone.com/fellow-one-research/the-four-body-types/body-type-quiz/body-type-test-quiz-results-1088-body-type-one-bt1-male-man-millennial-generation-y/
21. DailyMail: America’s military’s fitness crisis: Alarm over rising obesity and number of ‘skinny fat’ recruits who can’t pass physical tests, October 8, 2023, Lewis Pennock. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12593219/Americas-militarys-fitness-crisis-Alarm-rising-obesity-number-skinny-fat-recruits-pass-physical-tests.html
22. The Wall Street Journal: The U.S. Military’s Weighty Challenge: ‘Skinny-Fat’ Recruits, October 1, 2023, Ben Kesling. https://www.wsj.com/us-news/us-military-unfit-recruits-weight-aa17996b
23. Turning Point USA: US Military Facing Epidemic of ‘Skinny Fat’ Recruits. October 11, 2023, Morgan Zegers. https://www.tpusa.com/live/us-military-facing-epidemic-of-skinny-fat-recruits
24. Skinny Fat Science: How the Skinny Fat Crisis Affects the Global Obesity Epidemic, September 25, 2024. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/skinny-fat-science/how-the-skinny-fat-crisis-affects-the-global-obesity-epidemic/
25. Skinny Fat Science: How Skinny Fat Affects Regular Fat Weight Loss and Gain (Being Overweight and Obese), September 18, 2024. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/skinny-fat-science/how-skinny-fat-affects-regular-fat-weight-loss-and-gain-being-overweight-and-obese/
26. U.S. News and World Report: America Is Suffering a Mental Health Crisis. 988 Is Here to Help. September 6, 2024, Elizabeth Box and Derrick Feldmann. https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2024-09-06/america-is-suffering-a-mental-health-crisis-988-is-here-to-help
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28. Skinny Fat Science: How Skinny Fat Affects Mental Health, August 21, 2024. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/skinny-fat-science/how-skinny-fat-affects-mental-health/
29. World Health Organization (WHO): The human resources for health crisis, https://www.who.int/teams/health-workforce/PHEworkforce/the-human-resources-for-health-crisis
30. NIH, National Library of Medicine: Normal-weight obesity syndrome: diagnosis, prevalence, and clinical implications, September 2016 (Epub Jul 29, 2016), Lana P Franco, Carla C Morais, Cristiane Cominetti. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27473199/
31. Fellow One Research: Body Type Test (Quiz) Results 1170 – Body Type Three (BT3) Female (Woman), Generation Z, February 2022. https://www.fellowone.com/fellow-one-research/the-four-body-types/body-type-quiz/body-type-test-quiz-results-1170-body-type-three-bt3-female-woman-generation-z/