The Skinny Fat Dilemma

I got a rather interesting question recently from one of our AMAs…

The person sending this question was asking about the health status of a friend:

“I have a male friend who’s experiencing erectile dysfunction.  He has high blood pressure and is on metformin for prediabetes.  Doctor says testosterone labs are good.  Please advise.  He is trim, active, and a vegan”.

Oh boy.

LOTTA different directions we could go with this one.

But the part I thought was most telling (at least for the purposes of this email) is this:

“He is trim, active, and vegan.”

This is a common problem among women, but men are certainly susceptible to it as well:

The conflation of “trim” and “lean”.

For most people, it’s usually readily apparent that they’re “flaming dumpster fires.”

After all, when you’re 5 ft 10, 350 pounds, 40+% body fat, and need to book two airplane seats, it’s hard to ignore that something has gone awry.

But it might shock you to learn that some people do NOT fit into that category who are STILL flaming dumpster fires.

People who, at first glance, look perfectly normal and healthy…

At least when they have their clothes on.

But as soon as the shirt comes off, it’s pretty clear what’s going on…

I’m talking, of course, about the dreaded “skinny fat physique.”

Individuals who lack the characteristic “bulge” of an obese person but who are carrying far too much body fat and far too little muscle.

I think we all know what this looks like, but for those who don’t, here’s a little visual to give you an idea of what I’m talking about:

Not pretty, right?

Yeah, well, it’s also not HEALTHY.

As our dear viewer demonstrated in their question, you don’t have to be morbidly obese to suffer the health consequences of too much fat.

You can look like a “normal person” and STILL develop diabetes, inflammation, and all the other hallmarks of the disease.

The solution?

BUILD MUSCLE.

There are no two ways about it…

Muscle is the single greatest deterrent to the diseases of aging.

It’s the primary site of glucose disposal, and the more of it you have, the better you’ll be able to process carbohydrates.

So, how do we put on muscle (apart from intense training)?

Do the opposite of what this guy is doing:

✅ Eat enough protein

And yes, that means ANIMAL protein.

Getting enough quality protein on a vegan diet is extremely difficult, if not impossible.

Eat your steak and eggs.

✅ Train intensely

I’ve met so many skinny fat people who swear up and down that they’re “active.”

Usually, this means they engage in a lot of cardio (cycling, swimming, etc.) and movement (walking, hiking, etc.).

Which is great!

But it’s not enough.

The only way to build muscle is by training your muscles (duh).

✅ Optimize your hormones

The person asking this question said that their friend’s testosterone labs were “all good.”

I can almost guarantee that’s not true.

The sad fact is that most doctors have absolutely no clue about how to measure testosterone accurately.

They don’t know what a healthy range actually is, they don’t know how to measure free testosterone, and they’ll generally do everything in their power to prevent you from using therapeutic testosterone.

Want to learn more about how to take measures into your own hands?

Consider joining the Fully Optimized Health Community.

Not only do we have premium resources and weekly AMAs, but depending on where you are in the world we can very likely help you find a doctor who WILL take your hormones seriously.

Best,

Hunter Williams