The word ‘Skinny Fat can be quite deceiving. Is it a:
- A condition?
- A body type?
- A genetic disorder?
In this answer, I will make it absolutely clear what Skinny Fat really is.
The SKINNY FAT term defines anyone who has a relatively higher percentage of body fat VS muscle mass for a given body weight.
Consider me at almost same body weight (+- 2lbs)

or this one:

The REASON I am looking much better—toned, LEAN and more muscular in my After Pics is the fact that I am carrying more muscle and less body fat for almost similar bodyweight.
I also had a very slightly pot belly in my before picture as my body fat was around 15–16% whereas in the after picture, the visibility of my six pack is very evident.
Here is another pic at the same time without my workout ganji:

Therefore Skinny Fat is definitely not a genetic disorder, nor it is a body type!
However, Genetics and your body type do play an important role in predicting your chances of getting a Skinny Fat look. (We can call it a LOOK)
Plus studies have shown that when you become Skinny-Fat it’s a dangerous condition to be in and should be taken seriously!
Let me explain:
Body Type
Basically, we are all divided into Ectomorph’s, Endomorphs and Mesomorphs.
I am a typical Ectomorph categorized by thin arms and legs, thin body frame overall, and weak genetics when it comes to building muscle mass.
And when ectomorphs gain fat, we gain mostly on our belly. Here’s me at 26–28% body fat:

A mesomorph or an endomorph can also become Skinny Fat but the look won’t be as evident as in the case of ectomorphs.
Adam Sandler can easily be categorized as a Skinny Fat Endomorph (however many would call him ‘Fat’ rather than ‘Skinny Fat’):

Genetics:
Being an ectomorph, I have short muscle bellies, reduced ability to recover from my workouts, less muscle strength, more slow twitch muscle fibers as opposed to fast twitch and this means my overall genetic potential to gain muscle mass is less as compared to someone who is a meso/endo.
Bottomline,
If you are an ectomorph,
-have body fat above 15% upto 30%,
have very less muscle mass to show then
YOU ARE SKINNY FAT.
Ladies, everything same, just that your body fat range will be between 25% to 35%.
Note: Anything above 30% for men and 40% for females will come into the Fat category.
Related Posts:
Learn from my mistakes and enroll in my free course:
21 Fatal Skinny-Fat & Other Health & Mistakes or/and fast track your results with:
LEAN-The Ultimate Skinny-Fat Solution
