Being Thin Isn't The Same As Being Healthy

Very frequently, when I ask a new client to describe their nutritional goals, they look at me blankly and state that they want to be thin and stay thin. When I saw a story recently on Time.com entitled "Why Thin Doesn't Equal Healthy," I realized that a general assumption is that skinny people are healthier. That assumption is not always true.

According to Time.com, a genetic analysis of more than 75,000 people found that lean people with a specific genetic variant had a greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and heart disease despite their lower body fat.

Scientists have discovered that people store their fat differently. Where the individual stores his or her fat is largely genetic and gender-based. Research shows that there is a genetic variant that causes some people's bodies to be incapable of storing fat underneath the skin and therefore it is deposited elsewhere, disrupting the body's normal function.

Often times, lean people may lack visible body fat under the skin because it is being stored deeper inside the body, around the organs and in the muscles. In this study, those with lean bodies, but detected as having this genetic variant, consistently showed higher blood cholesterol levels and trouble-processing insulin, an early indicator of diabetes. While this might seem obvious to some, several of my thinner clients have no idea that they could be at risk of Diabetes. They think that because they are thin, that they are less hurt by missing routine checkups. My job is to help them realize that what you eat and how you live your life is very, very important.

Being thin does not equate to good health. While there are higher risks for heavier people categorically, thinner people should not assume they are immune to health issues. When it really comes down to it, living a healthy life can only be successfully executed by truly taking care of oneself.

A few years ago, one of my thinner clients who looked externally healthful came to me for a consultation after she had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Rightfully, she was nervous and confused and couldn't understand how she had developed this disease, she thought only "fat" people were diagnosed with these types of conditions. When asked if she exercised, she shook her head, stating that she had never really had to think about exercising or eating healthy, that she had always been lucky to have such a great metabolism.

What I explained to her was what I explained above: thinness does not guarantee perfect health. Being thin is not a license to eat whatever you want or be lazy. If you have the variant, it is difficult to change the way your body stores fat, but you can take active measures to prevent the fat from being deposited in the first place.

I have another client in his early 40s -- he's quite lean because he's always at the gym, he runs a lot and looks great physically, but he eats a classic British diet (sausage, meat etc.). His cholesterol was through the roof, he was at risk for heart disease and he had high plaque buildup in his arteries. This is just another prime example of someone who, even without the genetic variant, is destroying his body by eating an unhealthy diet.

All people, but especially those with this variant should eat well. I believe that they should stay away from fatty foods, sugar (which is intimately linked to cancer), butter and salt. What we know for sure is that the human body is designed to be taken care of -- the fundamental premise being that food has either functionality or doesn't -- meaning it can either help or harm the human body.

It's virtually impossible to know if you are at risk for something if you are not routinely visiting the doctor. You should be scheduling diagnostics frequently to ensure that you are in good health. Whether you're male or female, everyone needs a great, trusty cardiologist. And, thin or not, everyone is at risk of things like arterial plaque and calcium buildup. The heart is the key to life; once your heart stops, so will you -- so why not do the research and make the appointment?

Every year you should be getting a full-body scan -- especially once you reach middle age. For example, colonoscopies are also very important and should be done routinely. Finally, someone with this genetic variant should be eating a diet high in plant-based foods; a classical, Greek, Mediterranean diet is what I would recommend. Exercise is also extremely important.

With or without these issues, we have a responsibility to take care of our own bodies to stay healthy for ourselves and for our loved ones. Simply eating well and exercising at least three times a week will keep your body running optimally -- trust me.

 

Follow Oz Garcia on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@ozgarcia

Comments

[anastasi]

12:51 PM on 08/10/2011

I'm carrying extra weight around thanks to a slow thyroid. However, I run, do yoga, garden, walk, and eat a lot of vegetables. I may not be bikini-thin, but I'm toned, flexible, strong and can finish an 8K race. I also have low blood pressure and cholesterol.

Thanks for this article - health is not a clothing size.

[dresdengirl]

07:39 PM on 08/10/2011

Have you checked with your doctor? I take one Synthroid tablet a day and my thyroid is normal.

[OMGWTH]

10:11 AM on 08/11/2011

Same here. I had put on a few pounds several years back and the doctor checked my thyroid. She put me on Synthroid and six lbs. dropped off within two weeks. A few years later, meno hit. There was no pill for THOSE extra lbs. Just a lot of hard work and re-thinking my eating plan.

[DrSnuggles]

11:42 AM on 08/10/2011

Well that wins for the DUH article of the day. Even BMI, a notoriously poor indicator of anything but height to weight ratio, has an 'underweight' category.

[LovingFit]

09:16 AM on 08/10/2011

I always knew that being thin does not mean healthy. But I've eaten a very good diet all my life and exercised regularly at least 4 to 5 times a week. I feel pretty healthy, I never get colds or flu, even when people around me are sick, I never seem to catch it. I've learned at a very young age that keeping a good diet and exercising regularly will keep you young and healthy for a very long time.

Thank you for a great post by the way, I am sure it will help a lot of people to understand things more clear.
I wish more people would read about health than they do about celebrities, because every time I look at those articles they always have thousands of comments, but health posts get so very few. I hope someday that will change.

http://www.lovingfit.com

[williamg]

01:37 AM on 08/10/2011

"I realized that a general assumption is that skinny people are healthier. That assumption is not always true."

=============================================

Or better yet, its not ALWAYS true, but the majority of time it is true.

[williamg]

01:34 AM on 08/10/2011

Thin doesn't always mean healthy.

But, obese almost always means unhealthy.

[ScritchfieldRD]

09:53 AM on 08/10/2011

Actually it doesn't especially if you look at BMI - check out "health at every size" and "rethinking thin".

Rebecca Scritchfield
www.rebeccascritchfield.com

[JackHoffman]

11:39 PM on 08/09/2011

We're all going to die.

[Casa-Giardino]

09:35 PM on 08/09/2011

Thin does not mean healthy just as thin does not mean fit. Frankly, I rather be fit than thin. I see some thin people in my age group resembling dry prunes.

[ScritchfieldRD]

09:55 AM on 08/10/2011

"I'd rather be fit than thin."

I agree with you 100% As many people as you can influence with this mindset, do it!

Rebecca Scritchfield
@ScritchfieldRD

[Casa-Giardino]

06:56 PM on 08/10/2011

I also stress eating all foods in moderation. In my opinion, moderation is key in life.

[sasha r84]

08:48 PM on 08/09/2011

Hehe. People don't want to be skinny because they think it's healthy! They want to be thin so they can LOOK more attractive!

[Crawleykakes]

08:46 PM on 08/09/2011

Pretending being over weight is OK , just because so many are is not healthy too !

[Erik Howell]

12:09 AM on 08/10/2011

May I suggest some remedial reading comprehension?

[Avanna Yavanna]

08:23 PM on 08/09/2011

I thought this article was great. I know some thin people who eat excessively, specifically very unhealthy foods. As a person who has struggled with weight, I was not jealous of this behavior as much as I was disgusted. Your body is not a dumpster. Plenty of healthy foods are delicious. Also, eating to an excess is somewhat greedy in my opinion--with my parents traveling from countries where food is scarce, I think we should all do our part and eat less. I wish more articles highlighted these problems, and I thank the author and the Times article author from bringing this issue to a wider audience.

[singermuse]

07:20 PM on 08/09/2011

Thank you, Thank you! Finally someone understands that there is a difference between being thin and being healthy! No more pasty faced muscularly challenged wimps gloating about how much "healthier" they are than their obese counterparts! Neither is good.

[Semprini]

07:11 PM on 08/09/2011

"It's virtually impossible to know if you are at risk for something if you are not routinely visiting the doctor. You should be scheduling diagnostics frequently to ensure that you are in good health. Whether you're male or female, everyone needs a great, trusty cardiologist."

And of course, this is all covered by insurance, yes? Or, easily affordable for those without it?

[mkthinker]

06:10 PM on 08/09/2011

"I realized that a general assumption is that skinny people are healthier. That assumption is not always true." So most of the time the general assumption is correct, but rarely it isn't. That isn't a reason to write and article. That is true of almost every general assumption- that is why they are general assumptions and not exact descriptions. So yes, skinny people aren't immortal. Some have cancer, heart attacks, are in car accidents. Why is there a club of doctors who will not rest till most all of of are terrified of food? I'm a healthy woman and I've let some people like this get in my head before. It's impossible to eat almost anything if you listen to all the experts. Then I'm sure there will be a study that american's are under huge amounts of stress and it is causing issues.

[cozzete]

04:59 PM on 08/09/2011

My husband smokes a pack of cigerettes a day. He drink 5 to 7 cups of milk heated with a dollop of instant coffee and 5 to 6 teaspoons of sugar everyday. He has sphegetti every other night and eats a huge bowl of ice cream every night for a couple of weeks at a time. He fills his plate completely up when he eats. He is 5 feet, two inches , 62 years old and has always weighed 119 pounds. He sleeps through the night. He takes a nap every day. He has never been sick but he lost a lot of teeth.. He is a very hard worker and can do more than most younger people in a day...building, carrying and moving things. He NEVER eats when he works. Only that occasional meal at 10 at night. It turns out that fasting when working out turns out to help bones repair themselves and something else that is good for the muscles. He recently built an addition to someone's home. I've never seen him eat any fruit or vegetables except at holiday dinners and he NEVER eats food that is mixed. If upset about anything he will not eat. If he feels "off" in anyway..he will not eat. He drinks ...3 gallons of 2 percent milk every week in his coffee. Honest and direct , he can be a dork sometimes, but goes out of his way to help the less fortunate.

[alicemerry]

04:16 PM on 08/09/2011

I've heard that having a CT scan is the equivalent of smoking 10,000 cigarettes. I am very upset that I was repeatedly run through a CT scanner during a medical problem. I am very surprised that this recommendation is in the article. What about the radiation exposure?