The Dark Side Of Being Lean ( Sub 10% Body Fat)

14 May 2025 · 1 min

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1:07

In this concise monologue, Eric Roberts recounts his time at an extremely low body fat percentage (sub‑10%). He describes severe energy depletion, constant food cravings, and poor workout quality despite looking physically impressive. After intentionally gaining about 15 lb, his energy, workout performance, and relationship with food improved dramatically, even though his appearance no longer matches social‑media ideals. Roberts argues that extreme leanness, like extreme overweight, is unhealthy both physically and mentally, and warns viewers against sacrificing health to achieve aesthetic standards promoted online.

Chapters

I used to be in the best shape of my life, and I was miserable. What most people don't tell you about having a very low body fat percentage is what comes with it is terrible energy, constant cravings, and terrible workouts. Since that picture, I've gained about 15 pounds, and this is what I currently look like. So I might not look as good as I did compared to social media standards, but my workouts are 100 times better. My energy is back up. My cravings are next to none, and I'm not obsessed with food 24/7. Just like being very overweight isn't healthy, being very lean isn't healthy physically or mentally either. So the next time you're beating yourself up because you don't look like the people you see on social media, trust me, there's a dark side they aren't telling you, and it's not worth sacrificing your physical or mental health just so you can see your abs a little bit more.