Skinny Fat Dilemma – Lose Fat Weight or Add Muscle?

Which is more effective to fix skinny fat: losing regular white/yellow fat (common adipose tissue) or adding muscle mass? The answer to this common dilemma starts with understanding what skinny fat is (1). The main characteristic of skinny fat is low muscle tissue (2, 3). Muscle is genetic (4). If you genetically have deficient muscle tissue, you are very likely experiencing some degree of skinny fat — how severe depends on how much muscle tissue you are naturally lacking.

The more muscle tissue you lack, the more skinny fat (thin fat, cellulite)(1) you are likely experiencing, the slower your metabolism (5), and the more prone you are to being overweight or obese (having too much regular white/yellow body fat). Normal weight obesity (6, 7, 1) — the technical term for skinny fat — involves having too much regular fat even when within safe BMI (18.5 to 24.99). Which, technically, is impossible. Once you are within safe BMI, by definition, you no longer have too much regular fat.

Normal weight obesity (skinny fat) is actually a lack of genetic muscle tissue (7, 6, 1). Our MRI Study (8) is working on proving this. Where that muscle tissue should be, thin fat and/or cellulite (1)(both types of skinny fat) exist instead. Anywhere you have thin fat and/or cellulite, you are more likely to find it harder to manage regular fat and keep it in check.

Skinny Fat Dilemma – Lose Fat Weight or Add Muscle?

The all too common belief on social media, no less, claims that losing regular fat is the best way to fix skinny fat. The thing is, you can lose regular fat all the way down to safe BMI 18.5, or even lower to unsafe BMi’s, yet the skinny fat will remain. Losing regular fat does not magically make deficient muscle tissue appear.

This woman is the perfect example. She lost regular fat weight, reaching a dangerously unsafe BMI of 8 (eight!)(9), yet the skinny fat — lack of genetic muscle — did not go away. It remains on her love handles, lower back, and stomach. In fact, because she also lost muscle, it made her skinny fat worse. When she finally decided to stop abusing her body and actually work to recomposition it via proper diet and resistance exercise — particularly weight lifting  — she was able to successfully fix her skinny fat and get the look she wanted.

The best way to reduce skinny fat as much as possible is by doing proper resistance exercise (10), especially lifting weights (11), along with a healthy diet (12) and lifestyle (sleep, stress, environment)(13). Safely losing regular fat can further improve appearance.

Body Composition, Metabolism, Diet, Exercise, Lifestyle – Scientific Health Quizzes

Wrangling the latest science, we developed the Scientific Health Quizzes, including the Scientific Body Type Quiz that offers an affordable, at-home, user-friendly way to accurately estimate body composition, particularly skinny fat. As a compliment, the Scientific Metabolism Quiz, Scientific Diet Quiz, Scientific Exercise Quiz, and Scientific Lifestyle Quiz help you paint a whole picture of your current health. Accounts are free, private, secure, and anonymous (depending on what information you choose to give).  Free options are available.

References

1. Skinny Fat Science: What is Skinny Fat?, July 26, 2024. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/skinny-fat-science/what-is-skinny-fat/
2. Skinny Fat Science: Skinny Fat Syndrome, April 22, 2026. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/skinny-fat-science/skinny-fat-syndrome/
3. Skinny Fat Science: Is Low Muscle Genetic?. April 15, 2026. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/skinny-fat-science/is-low-muscle-genetic/
4. Skinny Fat Science: Is Muscle/Mass Genetic and How Does It Affect Skinny Fat?, November 20, 2024. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/skinny-fat-science/is-muscle-mass-genetic-and-how-does-it-affect-skinny-fat/
5. Skinny Fat Science: How Skinny Fat Affects Metabolism, August 7, 2024. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/skinny-fat-science/how-skinny-fat-affects-metabolism/
6. Skinny Fat Science: Skinny Fat Is More Than Just Normal-Weight Obesity, April 2, 2025. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/skinny-fat-science/skinny-fat-is-more-than-just-normal-weight-obesity/
7. Skinny Fat Science: Skinny Fat is a Lack of Genetic Muscle – Beyond Normal-Weight Obesity, August 13, 2025. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/skinny-fat-science/skinny-fat-is-a-lack-of-genetic-muscle-beyond-normal-weight-obesity/
8. Skinny Fat Science: Scientific Skinny Fat MRI Study – Proving What Skinny Fat Is, May 26, 2025. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/skinny-fat-science/scientific-skinny-fat-mri-study-proving-what-skinny-fat-is/
9. DailyMail: From anorexic to body builder: Woman who was on the brink of death after dropping to FOUR STONE becomes a champion weight lifter in just 18 MONTHS, April 4, 2017, Marth Cliff. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4378340/Recovering-anorexic-wins-bodybuilding-title.html
10. Skinny Fat Science: Best Skinny Fat Resistance Exercises, September 4, 2024. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/skinny-fat-science/best-skinny-fat-resistance-exercises/
11. Skinny Fat Science: Resistance Training for Skinny Fat – Weight Lifting, 40 Optimal Exercises (with Images), May 7, 2025. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/skinny-fat-science/resistance-training-for-skinny-fat-weight-lifting-40-optimal-exercises-with-images/
12. Skinny Fat Science: The Best Skinny Fat Diet, According to Science, July 29, 2024. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/skinny-fat-science/the-best-skinny-fat-diet-according-to-science/
13. Skinny Fat Science: The Best Skinny Fat Lifestyle, According to Science, August 14, 2024. https://skinnyfat.fellowone.com/skinny-fat-science/the-best-skinny-fat-lifestyle-according-to-science/