Skinny on the Outside, Fat on the Inside

Maybe thin people aren't so lucky after all. New research indicates that thin people may actually be storing fat internally. "Being thin doesn't automatically mean you're not fat," said Dr. Jimmy Bell. After a study of nearly 800 people using MRI machines, Bell's team discovered a good deal about where people store fat on their bodies. And thin people who maintain their weight through diet, but not exercise, have an unfortunate tendency to store major deposits of fat internally. The worry is that these people lack the obvious external signal that they're not healthy, and are therefore at risk for diabetes, heart disease, and the like.

So where is the fat, if it's not settling around hips and thighs? It's actually surrounding vital organs, say the British researchers who released the report. And apparently, BMI isn't a dependable indicator for fat levels. Approximately 45 percent of women with normal BMIs (20-25) showed an excessive amount of internal fat, while 60 percent of men in the normal range had the same problem.

Bottom line? Looking thin is one thing, but for actually being healthy, dieting may not be enough in itself.