Hmmm. I think we truly know when slim/slender is healthy, and when it is not. (Unless eating disordered, and there is a word for folks who don't see illhealth in skinny bodies in the mirror - dys something or rather.)
And we have body types that run in families, so we know what is normal / healthy/ plump/ overweight/ fat with the body type we have too, I would say. And it isn't just body fat or the lack of it, it's hair texture, skin, eyes - we all have an instinct I believe, for seeing ill health in these things, or not. (Malnutrition has a particular look!) I am thinking no body fat when a person is dying - that person does not just look slender, and they certainly do not look muscular. That's a person who can no longer eat, and they are on their way out. and living off fat stores until that time. Anyway - I'm being a bit blunt here.
@chrisjohnh , if you are worried about longetivity for being slim/slender - ask a dear friend or intimate what they think about how healthy you look. Someone who is going to answer honestly. And look at long living family members who have a similar build to you. This is what I would recommend at any rate.
And I came across a very interesting article on type two's and life span - I found it very reassuring, as the old '10 years off' seems to be out, and more variables are in, including age of onset, and what country you are living in... I'll hunt it up...
It's called 'Type 2 Diabetes and Life Expectancy', by Ross Wollen, medical review by Dr Mike Natter, on the Diabetes Daily site.
This is what they say about weight loss (I don't really understand how it works, but I suppose it has to be about sick fat cells, our fat cells operating as an organ and its effect on our bodies as a whole - but I don't understand how weight loss can override hyperglycemia - so if anyone does - sing out!)
"Weight loss. For most patients with diabetes, weight loss also confers comprehensive health benefits. In fact, many experts now argue that
weight loss is an even more important health goal than glycemic control, because it creates both blood sugar improvements and many other improvements besides. So it should be no surprise that a
2022 study found that weight loss was the only factor more powerful than glycemic improvements for creating gains in life expectancy.
An older
study using data from the 1980s put the relationship into stark mathematical terms: “For the average patient each 1 kg weight loss was associated with 3-4 months prolonged survival.” That means that losing 10 pounds could extend a patient’s life by over a year, if that relationship remains accurate."
I wouldn't put much onto the final paragraph, but the first one has made me think a lot about this issue. and how it could be so (I am unconvinced but happy for my own prospects if there is genuine truth in it.). (I describe my own type two as weight-loss resistant type two, regarding complete remission chances at any rate.)
The article is American so ends up promoting pharmaceuticals (did I just say that??!!), but the section on cardio-vascular disease, and its prevention was well-worth a gander, and a good summary imho.