News and Views from kSero
Research Suggests That Thin People May Not be as Healthy as They Appear	June 15, 2007
By Marc S. Micozzi, MD, Ph.D.
Lew and Garfinckle in 1971 showed in a large data base that being thin is associated with increased mortality and morbidity from some chronic diseases, including certain cancers; in addition to the better known observation that being fat is associated with chronic diseases and other specific cancers. It describes a “J-shaped” curve of weight vs. morbidity and mortality. Moderate weight, or middle weight is ideal - the “golden mean” as in most things. Now, medical researchers at Imperial College, London, have shown that people with low or average body weight may not be healthy on the inside. These doctors believe that internal fat surrounding various vital organs could be as detrimental to health as is the more obvious (subcutaneous) fat found directly under the skin. This internal lining of fat is invisible to the naked eye but is detected by MRI machines that create "fat maps" displaying where concentrations of this internal fat are located. According to the research data, people who diet but omit physical activity from their lifestyles are more likely to have substantial deposits of internal fat. These people may appear thin, with normal body mass index scores, but are actually on the threshold of becoming “fat”. They eat a poor diet and do not exercise enough to compensate, but are not eating enough to visibly gain weight. Researchers claim that thin people who live a sedentary lifestyle are at greater risk of mortality than are overweight people who are consistently active. Since 1994, the research team at Imperial College has scanned nearly 800 people. 45 percent of women and nearly 60 percent of men with normal BMI scores were found to have high levels of internal fat. The metabolic risks of internal fat are unclear.. A mistaken chemical signal to store fat inside vital organs could lead to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, or heart disease. For people who want to go beyond appearing healthy to actually being healthy, there is no way around a proper, nourishing diet and appropriate physical activity. Contrary to conventional wisdom, it is possible for you to be “too thin” for your diet to be “too rich.”