All throughout our lives, we are told weight doesn’t determine if you are over or underweight, and it’s more about how you feel as a person. For the most part, this is true because if you have a high body mass index, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are fat. Having said this, the majority of people who are overweight but still consider themselves fit, are in fact not healthy. According to this CNN article, “fat but fit” does not exist, and healthy obesity is a myth.
As stated above, scientists have discovered that some people who are considered overweight can still be metabolically healthy, meaning that although their BMI is above average, they have normal blood pressure, cholesterol levels and no signs of diabetes, yet the opposite is also true for those who are too thin. To figure out if someone was actually healthy while disregarding their weight, eight studies were done with more than 60,000 participants. The studies recorded each patients BMI and metabolic status and categorized them into 5 groups.
1. Metabolically unhealthy and normal weight
2. Metabolically unhealthy and overweight
3. Metabolically unhealthy and obese
4. Overweight but metabolically healthy
5. Obese but metabolically healthy
Results showed that people with normal weight and metabolism had fewest cardiovascular problems, and that being metabolically unhealthy puts you at greater cardiovascular risk, regardless of your BMI. The results also showed that the metabolically healthy obese group had the highest mortality rate compared to all of the other groups. The moral of this study is that excess weight will effect your body, regardless of if you see the results now or not.
Contrary to this study, a study done by Jacque Wilson of CNN states that you CAN be fat and fit. He feels that although obesity is linked to many diseases and complications, there is a number of obese people who obesity related problems. Researchers studied 43,265 people from 1979 to 2003, and measured their fat content. 29% of the subjects were considered obese, and more than half of them were considered metabolically healthy. The study showed that the metabolically healthy obese patients had a 38% lower risk of dying than those who were metabolically unhealthy. They also found that there was no risk difference in the metabolically healthy normal weight patients and the metabolically healthy obese patients.
In conclusion, some researchers feel strongly that fat but fit is a myth, while others believe it is a possibility. Science shows that both can be true, but regardless of that, exercise is found to be a great tool for fighting obesity and increased happiness. Personally, I think that regardless of your metabolic status, being obese increases your chances of health complications, therefore there is no way that could be considered healthy. Obesity is a term used for when someone is extremely over weight, implying that their weight is not where it should be. This site here lists many complications that can stem from obesity, and I feel that is enough evidence to point us in the direction that it can’t be healthy.
Obesity is an ongoing problem in this country. Many people say they are fit with extra weight but in fact are not. My dad thought you could be fat and fit until the doctor told him the difference. Since then he has worked out to get rid of his fat and is now just fit. The fact of the matter is you can feel fit but still be fat and have other problems such as diabetes. Overall it’s healthier just to lose the extra weight.