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At Healthfully, we strive to deliver objective content that is accurate and up-to-date. Our team periodically reviews articles in order to ensure content quality. The sources cited below consist of evidence from peer-reviewed journals, prominent medical organizations, academic associations, and government data.
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Why Do Skinny People Have Belly Fat?
Fat in the abdomen causes more health risks than fat in other locations in the body. Even people who are not considered overweight can have excess belly fat. Several factors can cause a person to pack on pounds in the midsection, even if she is otherwise slim. Such people still have increased risk for cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
Lack of Exercise
A person who uses diet but not exercise to keep slim can have large deposits of visceral fat, fat that surrounds his organs, the Associated Press reports 2. Often this person will not have a bigger middle, so he will not know that his body has too much fat.
TOFIs
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The term “TOFI”--thin outside but fat inside--was coined by Dr. Jimmy Bell, molecular imaging professor at Imperial College in London, the Associated Press reports 2. Many TOFIs eat foods with too much sugar and saturated fat, but do not eat enough calories to gain excess weight. Such people might be predisposed to deposit fat deep in the belly first, where it is not as visible.
BMI Doesn't Pinpoint
A person with a “normal” body mass index, or BMI, who has fat deep inside the belly is less likely to worry about his weight. BMI, however, does not always pinpoint visceral fat.
Hormones
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Hormonal changes after menopause sometimes change the way a woman’s body breaks down and stores fat. This can cause more fat to accumulate in her belly. Fat distribution shifts in postmenopausal women, placing more fat in the abdomen and less in the hips, thighs and arms. Some women will gain belly fat but not weight, according to the Mayo Clinic 1.
- Hormonal changes after menopause sometimes change the way a woman’s body breaks down and stores fat.
- Some women will gain belly fat but not weight, according to the Mayo Clinic 1.
Age
People often gain belly fat as they age because the body’s metabolism slows as the years go by. This leads to slow increases in the amount of body fat. The fat percentage increases more for women than for men, especially during postmenopausal years, according to the Mayo Clinic 1.
- People often gain belly fat as they age because the body’s metabolism slows as the years go by.
- The fat percentage increases more for women than for men, especially during postmenopausal years, according to the Mayo Clinic 1.
Heredity
Some people just gain belly fat before hip or thigh fat due to heredity. Unfortunately this type of fat can produce hormones that harm the body’s overall health. Researchers are still seeking answers to how big the impact of fat-cell-produced hormones is, according to the Mayo Clinic 1.
Related Articles
References
- Mayo Clinic: Belly Fat in Women: How to Keep it Off
- Associated Press; “Thin People Can Be Fat on the Inside;” May 2007
- What causes obesity & overweight? Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Reviewed December 1, 2016.
- Karvonen-Gutierrez C, Kim C. Association of Mid-Life Changes in Body Size, Body Composition and Obesity Status with the Menopausal Transition. Healthcare (Basel). 2016;4(3):42. Published 2016 Jul 13. doi:10.3390/healthcare4030042
- Stress, cortisol and abdominal fat. The American Institute of Stress.
- Assessing Your Weight. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reviewed May 15, 2015.
- The Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reviewed May 15, 2015.
- Abdominal fat and what to do about it. Harvard Health Publishing. Updated June 25, 2019.
Writer Bio
Linda Tarr Kent is a reporter and editor with more than 20 years experience at Gannett Company Inc., The McClatchy Company, Sound Publishing Inc., Mach Publishing, MomFit The Movement and other companies. Her area of expertise is health and fitness. She is a Bosu fitness and stand-up paddle surfing instructor. Kent holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Washington State University.