New research has come out suggesting that it is impossible to be fat but fit.
Researchers from the University of Birmingham look like they are dispelling the idea that you can be overweight but still medically fit.
The original idea comes from the belief that extra weight cannot harm you if things like your blood pressure and blood sugar are within recommended limits.
The scientists looked at data from 3.5 million people over a 20-year period. They found that ‘metabolically healthy’ people who were obese still had a higher risk of heart disease, stroke and heart failure than their thinner counterparts.
There are some flaws in the logic though, and one of the hardest things to try and prove is – what constitutes as being ‘fit’ and ‘fat’?
Different people have different body shapes, so it may be a bit harsh to call someone fat when perhaps they are just big-boned.
Some rugby players may look fat, but I can guarantee that they would be able to out-run most of the population if they were asked to sprint or run over an extended period.
Where that fat is stored may also have some bearing on the overall health of a person. Fat being distributed throughout the body may be better than if it is stored in the middle, for example.
I also worry that research such as this could be extremely disheartening for people who are overweight.
If people feel like there is nothing they can do to get themselves fitter if they are a larger person, they could lose the motivation to exercise completely, which surely can’t be a good thing.
This new research hasn’t been published in any scientific journals yet, which means it hasn’t been checked by other academics yet.
What is clear, and what hasn’t really changed from this research, is that eating a balanced diet, not smoking, exercising regularly and limiting the amount of alcohol you consume are all contributory factors to keeping healthy and trying to keep weight off.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39936138