It’s February and those of you whose New Year’s resolution was to lose weight and get in shape should be assessing your progress. This popular perennial topic reminded me of an idea I’ve heard tossed around for discussion on a regular basis, “Is it possible to be fit and fat?”
I’ve spoken with a few individuals that swear even though they’re overweight it doesn’t matter because they’re in shape. That notion seems plausible, and I’m of the opinion that being fit is important, particularly if you’re in law enforcement. But being overweight, or worse, being obese, must surely have a negative effect on one’s well-being. After a bit of recent research on this subject, it turns out that being fat but fit is a myth. Moreover, if you’re overweight, lots of exercise will not prevent an early death. And here’s a surprising conclusion from researchers in the field—it’s far more important to be slim, even if you are unfit.
So how does one determine a healthy body weight, and what does it mean to be slim? The conventional standard of measure used to be the old height and weight chart. That archaic method has been replaced by the body mass index (BMI). Go to this site to calculate your BMI quickly. This tool is used for both males and females, and is a ratio of height to weight that helps assess body fat, if one is overweight, and any associated health risks. The BMI method is accurate for most people. However, for some individuals who are muscular, elderly, or of short stature, the BMI measurement may not be as accurate. A good example of this is a male, 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 220 pounds, and having 12% body fat. This person is not obese with a 12% body fat, even though the BMI chart would place him in the obese category.
Being obese is fraught with hidden dangers such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. That’s why a person’s waist measurement is also factored into their risk assessment. Those with BMIs of 25-29.9 (the overweight category) and 30-34.9 (a level 1 obese category) should have waist sizes no more than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men. People with BMIs over 35 don’t need to consider waist circumference.
One surprising finding in a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association was there is no increased risk of death for people in the overweight category (BMIs of 25-29.9), those who carry a few extra pounds around, but who lead an otherwise healthy lifestyle. However, this is true only if other factors are in order: regular physical activity, non-smoker, waist circumference, healthy diet, and no significant medical problems or family history for chronic diseases.
A Swedish study conducted by Professor Peter Nordstrom, Umea University, of more than 1.3 million men indicates heavier adults who thought carrying a few extra pounds didn’t matter as long as they exercised regularly were wrong. His study found that fit men were generally far less likely to die than if they were inactive. However, being fit and overweight changed the result. Men who were slim and inactive were 30% less likely to die than those were fat but fit. Nordstrom’s findings also pointed out, “Unfit normal-weight individuals had a 30% lower risk of death from any cause than fit obese individuals.” His findings contradict the belief that obese individuals can fully compensate mortality risk by being physically fit. Additionally, having a low BMI was more crucial in preventing early death than keeping fit. His study suggests that low BMI early in life is more important than a high degree of physical fitness.
At the University of South Carolina, a study was conducted on 43,000 men and women. The study found the risk of developing heart disease and cancer was the same for fit fat adults and slim adults who did no exercise. Some experts argue that excess fat tissue triggers cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, regardless of whether one exercises or not. Others suggest inactivity is as harmful as smoking and contributes to 1 in 6 of all deaths. Needless to say, experts are divided as to whether being a healthy weight is more important than being fit.
Exercise recommendations for adults range from 30-90 minutes each day. Everyone should exercise daily for 30 minutes; 60 minutes is recommended for people to prevent weight gain; 90 minutes of exercise for those trying to lose weight. My old standard for weight management has always been simply this: calories in, calories out. The problem, however, is everyone is different insofar as their genetics and how they burn calories and exercise. The important thing to remember is healthy eating and regular exercise will always benefit you in terms of your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.
"It's clear that both fitness and fatness are important," said Walter Willett, an expert on nutrition and health at the Harvard School of Public Health. "It's definitely good to be as fit as possible no matter what your body weight. But it's also clear that it is optimum to be both lean and fit. It shouldn't be a question of one or the other."
Keep exercising my friends. Stay Safe, Brothers and Sisters!
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