You know the type – that ridiculously lucky skinny girl who eats burgers and fries without ever seeming to gain a pound. But is she really that lucky, and is she really that healthy just because she has the metabolism of a hummingbird?
The truth is, your weight doesn’t determine your health risk, and just because your skinny, doesn’t mean you’re in the free and clear of disease. In fact, you could be up against many health risks and not even know it.
Skinny on the Outside, Pre-diabetic on the Inside
Is it better to be thin without much muscle, or a bit overweight but fit?
While the common misconception is that being thin is healthier than being overweight, the modern health risk goes like this: skinny on the outside, and potentially ‘fat’ on the inside.
In other words, if you starve yourself and deplete your body of nutrients, if you skip the most important meal of the day, and if you expend all of your energy at work instead of hitting the gym, you’re the modern day skinny/fat.
This Startling Study Could Save Your Life…
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, 1 in 4 skinny people are plagued with pre-diabetes (and often those who don’t even know it). If you’re fortunate enough to not worry about weight gain, consider this – if you’re feasting on bread, sugar and pasta regularly, you just may have to worry about developing cancer, dementia or type 2 diabetes in your future.
Scary but true, being skinny and not taking preventive measures such as regular exercise can have catastrophic consequences. Your health isn’t about the number on a scale. It’s about the nutrients you put in, and the amount of effort you expend.
Don’t Become Scale Obsessed
It’s not the number of the scale that determines your health, but the steps you take and the nutrients you pack on that matters. It’s time to give up that silly idea that skinny means you’re invincible, and overweight means you’re not. Find the balance between pounds and muscle, so that you can have a strong, lean frame that will allow you to live a long, healthy and happy life.
Control Your Cure
If you’re out of shape but with a lean frame, start small and focus on improving your daily activity day by day. Walk to your neighborhood grocery store instead of driving to it. Eat small but frequent meals throughout your day that are full of color (kale, carrots, strawberries, brown rice, bell peppers, mushrooms, lean protein, etc.)
Pack on the protein, especially during breakfast. Encourage a workout friendly work environment by starting a lunch hour walking group – when you are surrounded by good health, you can be your own motivator, and help others improve their health
