Are You Skinny Fat?

One of the perks of travelling this past weekend was that I had time to catch up on some magazines on the plane. Flipping through the pages of the latest issue of Women's Health magazine, I made mental notes of new toning moves and recipes to try at a later date. Near the back of the issue though, I stumbled on a feature article that really caught my attention.

As many of you may know, Type 2 Diabetes is a rising health risk in America, largely due to the ever-expanding American waistline. However, even though this disease can be almost completely preventable, it's striking many people, including those who are "young, slim & fit."

The article discussed the condition TOFI (thin outside, fat inside):


'Molecular imaging expert Jimmy Bell, M.D., studies a condition he calls TOFI—thin outside, fat inside. Nearly undetectable from a person's appearance, TOFI happens when fat that would normally build up under your skin (hello, thunder thighs!) gloms onto your abdominal organs instead. This visceral fat is way worse than any muffin-top chub—it can cause inflammatory substances to affect your liver and pancreas, and lower your insulin sensitivity, putting you at risk for type 2. "With TOFI, you might look slim," says Bell, "but your insides are behaving as if you are obese." '


Read the whole article for yourself here and spread the word to your friends and loved ones. Health should always be the number one priority in your life.

Photo Courtesy of Women's Health Magazine