When was the first time you encountered the word? I’ll go first: I was eating my dinner in front of the TV, as I always did every evening that year—with my hair wet, the food steaming hot, and my favourite show airing. On the plate was chicken chop, my favourite, and I was excited to dig in. Then, my mother appeared. Here’s the strange thing: while the rest of us tucked into the food she laboured over, there wasn’t a plate in front of her. “I’m too fat,” she explained matter-of-factly. She’ll opt for a mysterious white powder instead, poured out of a satchet and stirred into a glass of water. I didn’t understand what that meant at first.
Then someone pointed at my tummy one day, a handful of years later. It was recess and I had a snack in hand. “You’re so fat,” he exclaimed, like it was something to feel humiliated about. I learnt to be. Height and weight days arrived with an impending sense of doom; the girls around me pushed food around their plates for days. I decided that I would be desirable only if I had a chiselled stomach, so ab workouts became the first thing I did coming home from school for six months straight. At 20, a relative decided she could poke me in the abdomen and tell me to start exercising, despite knowing nothing about my life or the physical activities I do. Not that she would ever care to know—as we’ve all been taught, ‘fat’ is a contemptuous word, used to refer to anything that makes us not thin. Should one find themselves ‘fat’, certain measures are to be implemented; the ‘fat’ must be pinched, nipped, dropped. By all means necessary.
The quest to be skinny isn’t new, but the Ozempic era has made the endpoint hazier. Images of protruding cheekbones and gaunt frames have been making their rounds on social media, and they’re now impossible to ignore. More than becoming skinny, we’re verging on a crisis—of starving ourselves to meet a standard that only becomes more unrealistic by the day. What are we actually doing to our bodies?
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Answering that question requires a hard reset—and it starts with understanding what fat really is. “Fat, or adipose tissue, is not inherently bad,” Dr Jody Paige Goh reminds us. Being the chief medical officer and co-founder of women’s healthcare app Hey Taylor, she goes on to unpack the importance of body fat—alongside accredited nutritionist Charlotte Mei and certified personal trainer Shakila Jenna.
What exactly is fat?
“Many of us fear fat. We see it as something that accumulates in our abdomen, thighs, arms and something that we’re constantly trying to reduce. As a result, we’ve almost come to glorify having as little body fat as possible. But body fat is something we all need,” Mei explains. One way to understand fat is by understanding where it is stored.
- Subcutaneous fat sits directly under the skin’s surface, and is most often the parts that we are able to physically pinch. Its main role is to cushion our bones and joints, as well as to insulate the body. Making up the majority of fat in our bodies, it tends to accumulate around the hips, thighs and buttocks. It is also worth noting that women tend to store more subcutaneous fat than men.
- Visceral fat is the fat that wraps around our internal organs, like the liver and intestines. Higher levels of visceral fat are often associated with a higher risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Another way to understand fat is by what it does. Goh explains that white fat is the type we use the most of, primarily storing energy while also producing hormones and other signalling molecules. Brown fat, in contrast, burns energy to generate heat. Beige fat refers to fat cells within white fat that can take on properties of brown fat under certain conditions.
Perhaps the most important thing to note is that fat isn’t just passive storage, but a biologically active tissue that communicates with the rest of the body. Goh highlights that it is particularly integral to hormonal and reproductive health, since fat tissue contains an enzyme called aromatase, which helps convert other hormones to oestrogen. This becomes particularly important later on in life, when the ovaries produce less oestrogen. Fat also produces leptin, a hormone that helps inform the brain about available energy. When body fat is too low, the signalling function becomes impeded, causing the brain to switch off functions like reproduction. Menstruation cycles get disrupted, which in turn affects bone health over time.
Instead of scrutinising the mere presence of fat, Goh and Mei reasserts that it is the amount, type and distribution of fat that matter.
What’s unseen
While most of fat-shaming discourse centres around lifestyle choices, how we accumulate and store fat is determined by other factors like genetics, hormones and sex. Genetics account for an estimated 40 to 70 percent variation in where fat is stored, influencing whether a person stores more fat around the hips and thighs or the abdomen. Hormones like oestrogen favours fat storage around the hips, thighs and buttocks, which is why women develop a different pattern of fat distribution from men post-puberty. As oestrogen levels decline during menopause, fat storage shifts towards the abdomen.
When insulin levels are chronically elevated, especially in cases of insulin resistance, the body is more likely to store excess energy as fat and have greater difficulty mobilising stored fat. Chronically elevated levels of cortisol, caused by prolonged stress and inadequate sleep, have also been associated with greater abdominal fat accumulation.
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In fact, Goh points out that fat is everywhere in our bodies. The fat pads on the soles of our feet absorb impact when we walk or run, fat cushions the eyeballs and supports them within the eye sockets, and fat surrounding the kidneys help to cushion them from physical impact. Every cell is surrounded by a membrane made largely of lipids, and specialised fatty substances form the insulating layer around our nerves that allows electrical signals to travel quickly. Fat is quite literally built into the very structure of our bodies.
Questioning the ideal
There may be body types that have come in and out of fashion, but Goh affirms that there isn’t one particular ideal body type from a health perspective. In adult women, a healthy body fat range lies between 21 to 32 percent, with about 10 to 13 percent being essential fat for basic physiological function. Maintaining sufficient body fat helps keep menstrual cycles regular, oestrogen production sufficient to maintain bone strength, and adequate cushioning for nerves and organs. That being said, having more fat stored around the abdomen can bring about greater metabolic and cardiovascular risks, for which a useful rule of thumb is to keep your waist circumference below half your height.
Yet, within Southeast Asia, looking petite or slim does not necessarily mean that you have low visceral fat or low metabolic risk. Goh warns that people of South and East Asian descent can develop insulin resistance and related metabolic conditions at lower BMIs than other populations. Ultimately, remarks Goh, other metrics like blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, muscle mass and strength have to be taken into account too. Body composition matters most, where there is sufficient body fat, muscle and bone to support everyday functions.
Another aspect to note is age and life stage. Thinness might be sold to women as a static ideal, but there are stages where fat is crucial.
- Puberty: Girls naturally gain body fat during puberty. Having sufficient body fat and available energy helps signal to the brain that the body has enough energy to support reproduction and allows menstruation to begin. Conversely, insufficient body fat or not eating enough can disrupt periods and make it harder to build strong bones.
- Pregnancy: The body naturally stores additional fat in the hips and thighs, acting as energy reserves to support the growing baby and the demands of producing breast milk.
- Menopause: As the ovaries produce less oestrogen, fat tissue becomes an increasingly important source of oestrogen. Maintaining adequate oestrogen is key to alleviating hot flashes and slowing down the rate of bone breaking down.
At any life stage, Goh highlights that the goal should never be the minimum possible amount of body fat—but having enough to support physiological function while maintaining a healthy body composition.
@izziemaaccYou body deserves fuel ❤️🩹 my DMs are always open x♬ Originalton – Sean
Fat and weight loss
When we talk about losing weight, it’s most often discussed in relation to losing fat. But is it the same thing? “No. The number on the scale tells you how much weight you’ve lost, but it doesn’t tell you what you’ve lost,” elaborates Goh. Our total body weight includes fat, muscle, water, glycogen and bone, so when the number on the scale drops, it isn’t necessarily all body fat. Your weight might not change while gaining muscle and losing fat simultaneously, which makes the scale an inaccurate way of measuring progress.
As much as social media would like you to believe, there’s no single food or drink that magically burns fat either. Mei debunks the notion that chia seed water burns fat—its fibre content may help someone feel fuller and limit how much they eat afterwards, but that’s not the same as ‘burning’ fat. Fat loss occurs over time, when the body uses more energy than it takes in, but is also influenced by genetics, medication, other health conditions, sleep and stress levels. Jenna also cautions that products with fat-free labelling may not necessarily be better, as they might have added sugars and fillers.
On that note, targeted fat reduction is also a myth. Sit-ups can strengthen abdominal muscles, for instance, but it will not make your body take fat from your stomach. While it is possible to reduce fat through cosmetic procedures like liposuction or cryolipolysis—otherwise known as fat-freezing—they only target subcutaneous fat, rather than visceral fat.
Rapid weight loss, though desired, can come with risks. Goh clarifies that when weight is lost very quickly, the body can break down muscle for energy. Losing muscle reduces the amount of energy the body uses at rest, lowering our metabolism. The weight loss can also cause the liver to release more cholesterol into bile, increasing the risk of gallstones. Leptin—the hormone involved in appetite and energy regulation—falls, which makes us hungrier. Combined with a lower metabolism, rapid weight loss could lead to rebound weight gain.
Ozempic and GLP-1 medications can be helpful for weight management in people who meet clinical criteria, but it shouldn’t be idolised as a quick way to lose weight.
Building an appetite
For anyone wanting to lose weight, it’s about finding the habits that you can realistically commit to. In terms of diet, Mei advises prioritising the following:
- Protein, as it can help you feel full and satisfied after a meal. Alongside resistance training, getting enough protein can help preserve or build muscle, which is important for losing body fat. Aim to include protein across all eating occasions, from main meals to snacks.
- Fibre, as it keeps you full while supporting gut and cardiovascular health. For variety, you can also obtain them from whole grains, nuts, seeds and pulses.
Dietary fat is also different from body fat, which means eating fat doesn’t translate to gaining body fat. Eating high-fat foods like nuts, oily fish and avocados can help us absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Carbohydrates are also an important source of energy, though Mei encourages us to think about the type of carbohydrates we’re eating. Whole grains—brown rice, oats, wholemeal bread—vegetables, fruits and pulses can give us carbohydrates alongside fibre and other nutrients. Rather than just fixating on losing the weight, Mei also suggests reframing our thinking by asking ourselves: what can I add to my plate? Can we add more fibre, more protein, more whole grains?
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Beyond weight loss, building and maintaining muscle is important in women. Goh asserts that it supports metabolism, protects our joints and plays a key role in facilitating strength and independence as we age. Resistance training helps preserve bone density, especially as women become more susceptible to osteoporosis when oestrogen levels decline in menopause. After giving birth herself, Jenna took the time to heal and build a body that is stronger and healthier, rather than chasing the unrealistic timeline of ‘snapping back’ to her pre-pregnancy self. “Our bodies go through so many changes, and that’s totally normal. Instead of stressing about weight, it’s better to prioritise feeling good, being active, and embracing who we are,” says Jenna. It’s the same philosophy she now passes on to her clients.
Remember: your body is yours
When there is so much discourse about how a woman should look, we often forget that our bodies already work hard enough to support us and our everyday lives. “The shape of our body isn’t synonymous with our health. Nor does someone’s appearance tell you their blood pressure, blood glucose, diet, mental health or health behaviour. I think we would all benefit if we separated health from appearance a little more,” Mei elucidates. She prompts anyone who is navigating body image to write down five things they appreciate about their body—and it doesn’t have to be about how it looks. I’ll go first: I’m thankful for a body that has carried me through everything thus far, that has survived in spite of the less-than-optimal care I afford it. My shoulders can bear a load or a sleeping head; I reckon my thighs could fend for themselves if a situation ever arises. More importantly, my body allows me to move through the world and experience all its corporeal sensations. So does yours.
