Are you normal weight obese? A surprising percentage of the population is – especially those over the age of sixty. How can you be of normal weight and still be “obese”? Even if you have a normal weight and body mass index (BMI), if you’re carrying around too much fat and not enough muscle, you could be normal weight obese.

What is Sarcopenia?

Normal weight obesity is closely related to sarcopenia, a term for the loss of muscle mass that occurs with aging. Sarcopenia is one of the most common causes of normal weight obesity since body fat percent rises as skeletal muscle mass is lost – leading to a higher body fat percentage. But sarcopenia isn’t exclusively seen in the elderly, it can occur at any age – especially in people who are inactive.

How Do You Know if You’re Normal Weight Obese?

The guidelines still aren’t clear, but most experts think normal weight obesity becomes a problem in women when their body fat percentage climbs above thirty percent, and for men, twenty percent. So, even though you may be within range according to weight charts, if you’re above a certain body fat percentage, you’re normal weight obese.

What’s So Bad about Normal Weight Obesity?

People who are normal weight obese may be at the same risk for obesity related diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome as people who are obese according to the established weight standards. Many people with normal weight obesity have too much visceral fat – fat surrounding their internal organs – which is the most dangerous kind.

Some experts believe that a high body fat percentage is a more accurate reflection of the risk of getting these diseases than looking only at body weight and BMI. After all, people who weight train and build up muscle mass may be overweight or obese by weight standards, but still have a low body fat percentage.

Are You Normal Weight Obese?

The only way to really know is to have your body fat percentage checked. This can be measured at home using skin calipers or by purchasing a special home scale that uses bioelectrical impedance to measure body fat percentage. Neither of these methods is completely accurate, but it’s much less expensive and easier to do than hydrostatic water displacement or underwater weighing – the gold standard for determining body fat percentage.

What if You’re Too High?

If your body fat percentage falls into the category of normal weight obesity, it’s time to start exercising. Aerobic activity is important to reduce body fat percentage and should be combined with resistance training to increase lean body mass.

Replacing simple carbohydrates that are rapidly absorbed and processed foods with complex carbohydrates – and eating more fruits, vegetables, and high quality lean protein helps to reduce body fat and give the body the nutrition it needs to build lean tissue.

Doing this consistently over several months will lower your body fat percentage and reduce some of the risk factors that come with being normal weight obese. Don’t assume because your weight is normal that you’re not obese – and that your risk for diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension is low. It may not be.

References:         

http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2008-rst/4738.html

Mayo Clinic website. “Normal Weight Obesity: An Emerging Risk Factor for Heart and Metabolic Problems”.

Filed under: Fitness

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