Fellow One Research lead scientific researcher, Marc Nelson, appeared on The Podcast by KevinMD with host Dr. Kevin Pho to discuss skinny fat (normal weight obesity). Only being loosely recognized and somewhat accepted by mainstream science and medical doctors in the last decade or so, normal weight obesity (skinny fat) is defined as having too much fat on your body when within your safe BMI weight range (18.5 to 24.99).
Regular obesity — a disease — means having too much body fat which takes you outside your safe BMI weight range. The conversation focused on better understanding the difference between regular fat tissue (white/yellow body fat/adipose tissue) and skinny fat tissue (thin fat, cellulite). Things began by first clarifying the current mainstream science and medical doctor’s body standards.
Current Mainstream Science/Medicine Body Standards
When you go to see your licensed medical doctor for your regular checkup, you, like every human being, are being judged by:
Standard #1: Standard Body Type One (BT1)
Found in any scientifically approved human body anatomy resource. Standard #1 is not accurate because it no less than fails to recognize that it is a scientific/genetic fact that any part of the human body can be underdeveloped to whatever degree. In particular, a lack of genetic default muscle tissue that goes hand-in-hand with genetic skinny fat tissue. Everyone is not born in a Standard BT1.
Standard #2: Body Mass Index (BMI)
Standard #2 is not accurate because it no less than fails to take into account genetic skinny fat tissue where genetic default muscle tissue should be, but is not. For countless people globally, even when they are within their safe BMI weight range they still somehow have too much body fat, which directly contradicts and violates the Standard BMI definition (once within safe BMI, by definition you no longer have any excess body fat). Just as the BMI fails to realize the possibility of excess muscle mass — genetic and/or added via exercise — that can put one into the overweight or obese column of their BMI weight scale but they are not overweight or obese.
Standard #3: Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
Standard #3 is also inaccurate as it no less than fails to calculate skinny fat tissue in the Standard Mifflin St Jeor Equation (BMR) and Harris-Benedict Equation for activity (TDEE). Science recognizes that one pound of muscle tissue burns six calories per day but one pound of regular fat and/or skinny fat tissue only burns two to three calories per day. Which directly and negatively affects metabolism, at least. If you have genetic skinny fat tissue on your body where you should have genetic muscle tissue yet are within safe BMI, you are likely eating too many calories daily following your standard BMR/TDEE calculations.
The Podcast by KevinMD – Diagnosing Skinny Fat (Normal Weight Obesity)
The discussion shifted to how there is currently no real means for doctors to diagnose normal weight obesity (skinny fat). Since the BMI became the standard in the mid-1980s, very little if anything has changed in terms of the current body standards and medical care, in general. Fellow One Research’s Body Type Science (The Four Body Types) research is working on changing things to improve the accuracy of the currently accepted body standards so doctors have more 
accurate ways to make the appropriate diagnosis, as needed.
Having the proper means to make the necessary diagnosis will improve healthcare and aggregate human health, in general. This includes helping mitigate the worsening worldwide obesity epidemic. Moreover, wrangling the widespread, unrealistic, inaccurate physical body standards and expectations placed on the average person by mainstream scientists and doctors, social media, the media, and society will improve no less than declining emotional and mental health, especially among young people.
Body Type Science Research Tools
The Body Type Science research helps you understand your genetic scientific body type (composition and shape) and metabolism, allowing you to make better, healthier science-based diet, exercise, and lifestyle choices to improve mental, emotional, and physical well-being in the short and long term. Fellow One Research’s cutting-edge science-based tools include the online Scientific Body Type Quiz and Scientific Health Quizzes. Listen to this educational and informative The Podcast by KevinMD episode on Apple Podcasts.
