If You're a TOFI, Better Hit TheTrail

Being a TOFI Can Be as Dangerous as Being Obese

Dr. Jimmy Bell, a professor of molecular imaging at Imperial College in London, released findings on Thursday through Associated Press, showing that being thin does not automatically mean you are not fat. Bell says the whole concept of being fat needs to be redefined based on what he has dubbed, "TOFIs - people who are thin outside, fat inside." Based on Bell's data from MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) "fat maps" done on nearly 800 people, doctors warn that the internal fat surrounding vital organs like the heart, liver, and pancreas in TOFIs could be as dangerous as visible external fat under the skin.

What Bell found in addition, is people who maintain a normal Body Mass Index (BMI) through diet rather than exercise are likely to have major deposits of internal fat, even if they are otherwise slim. To illustrate his findings, Bell provided an MRI image shown in the picture to the left. This MRI is of a 28 year old man who does not like junk food, sits at a desk half the day, and is outside the other half of the day, but does not go to the gym. The yellow part of the image represents internal fat. Bell says, "The important message is people shouldn't be happy just because they look thin; it's not about looking fit or thin, it's about being healthy. When you exercise, you tend to burn internal fat. Lifestyle changes have to include physical activity. It is just not enough to diet."