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Slim body is not the primary indicator that guarantees health. Those with ideal body weight may have a composition of fat, muscle, and water which is not balanced. What is more dangerous is that the existence of invisible fat that surrounds vital organs: liver, heart, and pancreas.

Such internal fat can be just as dangerous as visible external fat that makes the body fat. “Being thin does not automatically mean you’re not fat,” said Dr. Jimmy Bell, a professor of molecular imaging at Imperial College, London.

Since 1994, researchers conducted a scan of nearly 800 people to map the location of fat storage in the body. Those who rarely exercise tends to put more internal fat deposits.

The findings hopefully could be a warning to those who are lean to still see the importance of exercise. Those who are slender generally feels healthy, so that they tend to have bad lifestyle. They do not maintain the diet and are reluctant to exercise.

Researchers have confirmed that those who are slim are not necessarily are resistant to chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, or stroke. “If you just want to be thin, diet alone may be enough. But if you want to truly become healthy, exercise must become an important component in your lifestyle.”

Another study led by Mark Hamer of University College London, also found that the ideal body weight or lean is not the primary indicator to determine cardiovascular health. What matters is the metabolic health.

Metabolic health indicators such as: normal blood pressure, normal blood sugar levels, has a considerable amount of good cholesterol, and safe levels of C-reactive protein that are associated with the presence of inflammation in the body.

“The weight of the body does not give any guarantees. Those who are slender but have high levels of bad cholesterol and high blood pressure, would have a greater risk of heart attack,” Hamer said, as quoted by Reuters.

Dr. Cora Lewis, professor of health from the University of Alabama, who was not involved in these studies nodded in agreement. “The bottom line is not to get stuck on fat or slim, but note the health conditions thoroughly,” she said.