How to avoid becoming a skinny fat person

Posted on January 9, 2014 | By Ann Carey Tobin, MD

Beginning in our late 30’s or early 40’s we all begin to lose muscle, through some undetermined combination of aging, nutritional deficiencies, and inactivity. According to Nutrition Action Health Letter, April 2011, this translates into approximately a quarter of a pound of muscle loss per year for the average person. If left unchecked, the progressive loss, called sarcopenia, can profoundly affect our health and our appearance. Lost muscle can be replaced with unhealthy fat that either leads to being overweight and potentially plagued by associated diseases; or, alternatively, results in a skinny fat person who is also at increased risk for the same diseases. Since muscle weighs more than fat, a skinny fat person may register a fairly stable weight on the scale, but it is only an illusion.