“Being Fat Isn’t a Problem, as Long as You’re Fit” say Researchers

For years we’ve been told that being overweight automatically means that we are unhealthy, but have the tables finally turned? According to some new research, being bigger-boned (ahem!) may not mean that you’re unhealthy.

Rising obesity is one of the world’s greatest health issues, but researchers are now questioning if we really should be worried about weight because apparently, fitness is what really counts.

Researchers at the University of Granada have discovered that almost half of people who are defined as being “obese” are actually perfectly fit and healthy. While obesity is generally blamed for causing a number of chronic diseases and other health issues, it was discovered that some obese people are so physically fit that they’re not at risk of developing any of the usual health problems associated with obesity.

In fact, some obese people are so healthy, they are 38 per cent less likely to die early, unlike their unhealthy counterparts.

“It is well known that obesity is linked to a large number of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular problems and cancer. However, there appears to be a subset of obese people who seem to be protected from obesity-related metabolic complications,” said Dr Francisco Ortega, the lead author of the study.

“They may have greater cardio-respiratory fitness than other obese individuals, but, until now, it was not known the extent to which these metabolically healthy but obese people are at lower risk of diseases or premature death,” he added.

Are your fitness levels up to scratch?

The study, which was published in the European Heart Journal, involved more than 40,000 people who were followed from 1979 to 2003.

Those who were obese and fit had a 38 per cent lower risk of dying than their unfit counterparts, and there was no difference in the death rate between fit obese individuals and those who were fit and of a normal weight.

“We should stop worrying about fatness and worry more about fitness,” said Dr Ortega.

Do you think this is the right attitude to have? Should more emphasis be placed on fitness rather than what we eat?