Not All Thin People Are Healthy

Thin people are fitter and healthier than obviously overweight or obese counterparts --- that's the common notion these days, right?

Guess again.

Not all thin people are healthier. They can be termed as TOFI, or 'thin outside-fat inside.'

British researchers have used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to show that many slim people out there who have normal body weight are probably carrying around hidden layers of fat. Where? These dangerous fat deposits are wrapping their hearts, livers, and pancreata, and these can spell trouble.

If you ever wonder why you know some younger and supposedly slimmer friends of yours have diabetes and heart problems already, these new findings might help explain why.

Prof. Jimmy Bell, who heads the molecular imaging group of the UK's Medical Research Council's centre at Imperial College, London, is the lead researcher of these hidden fat layers. He says:

"The important message is people shouldn't be happy just because they look thin; it's not about looking fit or looking thin, it's about being healthy. You can look healthy, but have a lot of fat internally, which can have a detrimental effect on your health."

The guy you see in the image above is Ben Schwartz, a 28-year old man who is hardly overweight, has a normal BMI, and has a daily lifetyle he described as half-spent in the office and half-spent outside. He has no time to go the gym like most of us. He has more than 20 litres of fat in his body, of which nearly 4 litres are hidden dangerously. Prof. Bell says that amount of fat is "on the high side of healthy." Conclusion--- Mr Scwartz may look healthy but he still needs to exercise more.

Someday I hope they can include this imaging study in annual check-ups. Looks can be deceiving. According to Prof. Bell, Japan's Sumo wrestlers eat 5,000 calories daily and have BMI values exceeding 50, but they have very little internal fat. They also have low levels of triglycerides and cholesterol and low insulin resistance making them less prone to heart problems and diabetes. They look fat, yes, but they are actually healthier than most of us. They have managed to put all their fat on the outside.

Dieting is never enough. We must move and move always. Run, walk, jump, or do whatever to exercise our bodies at least 3-4 times a week. Fat which is skin-deep won't kill us, it's the fat we hide that will. We must get rid of it now.