But research suggests that you can be overweight, even obese, and still be healthy, a phenomenon that experts refer to as the obesity paradox. A recent study?one of the largest (more than 43,000 people) and longest (about 24 years) to analyze fitness and fatness?revealed that 46 percent of obese people in the study were perfectly healthy. They didn?t have high blood pressure or cholesterol; there were no signs of insulin resistance or diabetes. In fact, there were no significant differences between these healthy, obese people and healthy, normal-weight people.
How can you tell if you?re healthy even if you?re carrying around some extra weight? There are a couple of things to consider, such as:
Your Fitness Level
Physical activity protects against variety of diseases, and this seems to be true for overweight and obese people, too. The researchers from the study mentioned above point to exercise as the reason the subset of obese people were so healthy. Another study, this one from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, found that active overweight women had a lower risk for heart problems than women who were inactive and at a healthy weight. The more active women also had lower levels of insulin and triglycerides (a harmful fat in the blood).
Although the heavier women had more risk factors for heart disease, their weight did not actually increase the incidence of a heart attack or other heart problem. The authors concluded: Fitness capacity is more important than body mass index (a ratio of height to weight) when it comes to heart health.
How do you measure fitness? Ask yourself the following three questions to get an idea of how fit you are. Can you?
??walk 30 to 60 minutes without having to take a break?
??climb two flights of stairs without getting out of breath?
???do mild to moderate aerobic activity, such as a brisk walk or short jog?
Your Shape
If you carry those extra pounds around your middle (the dreaded spare tire), you might be in trouble. Abdominal, or visceral, fat has proven more risky to your health than fat elsewhere in the body. Check your waist circumference. It should be less than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men. To learn more about waist circumference, how it affects disease risk and how to measure yours, check out the blog post I wrote for our friends at DietsInReview.com. And for more ways to measure your health, check out these need-to-know numbers.
Unfortunately, for many people, being overweight or obese can interfere with how much activity they get. That?s why it?s still a good idea to try to work down to a healthy weight. And doing so can further reduce your risk for various illnesses. Give diseases a one-two punch by combining a healthy fitness level with a healthy weight.
How do you feel about the obesity paradox?that you can be both fat and fit?
Pin ItAbout Bob Greene, Best Life Founder
Bob is an exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer specializing in fitness, metabolism and weight loss and the driving force behind The Best Life. He holds a master?s degree from the University of Arizona and is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise. For 30 years, he has worked with clients and consulted on the design and management of fitness, spa, and sports medicine programs.
Bob has been working as a personal trainer to Oprah Winfrey for more than 15 years. He has since become a contributing editor for O, The Oprah magazine, and writes articles on health and fitness for Oprah.com. He is also the bestselling author of The Best Life Diet Cookbook, The Best Life Diet, The Best Life Diet Daily Journal, Bob Greene's Total Body Makeover, Get with the Program!, The Get with the Program! Daily Journal, The Get with the Program! Guide to Good Eating, Make the Connection and Keep the Connection.
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Source: http://members.thebestlife.com/blog/can-you-be-both-fit-and-fat/
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