Fat but Fit?

[DWx]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39936138

The term "fat but fit" refers to the alluring theory that if people are obese but all their other metabolic factors such as blood pressure and blood sugar are within recommended limits then the extra weight will not be harmful.

In this study, researchers at the University of Birmingham analysed data of millions of British patients between 1995 and 2015 to see if this claim held true.

They tracked people who were obese at the start of the study (defined as people with a body mass index of 30 or more) who had no evidence of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes at this point.

They found these people who were obese but "metabolically healthy" were at higher risk of developing heart disease, strokes and heart failure than people of normal weight.

What are your thoughts on this?

Can you both be fat (i.e. overweight) and fit?

[LLLEARNER]

It looks like the data sample was large enough and the time frame long enough that idiosyncrasies of a smaller population would be weeded out.

You certainly can be overweight and athletic. I have seen big guys do crazy things. But the study is probably correct. Excess fat deposits around internal organs are not a good thing.

[sensei8]

I don't know! That's because I'm not a doctor or an expert in those given fields. Ronnie Coleman, 8 time Mr. Olympia in a row, and he's a high BMI; he's grossly obese!! So, who's to say if fat is fit??

Me??

You??

Experts??

Who??

I've lost 74 pounds since last October, and my BMI in October was grossly overweight, but I was the furthest thing from being fit, even though I was on the floor all of the time, yet I knew were the gym was, but I rarely went.

Fast forward, I was diagnosed with Afib...big wake up call. I had to do something to improve my quality of life, and I did, and I still do. I know where the gym is, and I'm there 6 times a week. Yet, my BMI, is still high in spite of all of the weight I've lost, I was downgraded to obese. Once I reach my goal of 215lbs by this October, my BMI will still be overweight; I'd have to weigh at 185lb for my BMI to be healthy.

I'm much more fit now then I was last October, but I'm still fat by standards!!

To me, fat and fit can't share the same spot because, to me, I'm either one or another, and not both at the same time. Seems to me that that is an oxymoron, if I've ever seen one.

To me, being fat leads to major medical complications that are just around the corner. Last year, I was standing in my coffin, just waiting to lie down, now, I'm standing outside of the coffin because I'm much more active and fit, and I'm reaching to be fitter and healthier than ever.

[bushido_man96]

I think there are some people who are heavier that are athletic and healthy. Some are just lucky that way, and some have to work at it. My brother is a big person, and he has never had an issue with blood pressure. I've known some smaller people that have. Everyone is different.

The fact of the matter is that some people will just tend to carry more weight than others. That doesn't mean they can't be healthy, and I think it becomes easy to tell who looks healthy and who doesn't.

[Alan Armstrong]

Obese but fit? Yes, for how long?

Anorexic but fit? Yes, for how long?

Obesity and anorexia are both killers due to eating disorders.

My knowlege with both, is the amount of suffering both conditions entail.

Food is intended to keep us alive and give us the nutrients we need to help us live a full and happy life.

In this case, over doing or under doing is unhealthy.

Emotional reason seem to trigger eating disorders, as happiness is associated with eating and not eating can be found to be caused due to not being loved.

There is a self image issue that could cause abnormalities as being big is better and skinny is beautiful.

We are supposedly in for a big change when we hit our forties, muscles start to reduce in size and fat is more difficult to burn up.

This can be balanced out by changing diet as we age.

Eating the same amount of food/calories from being a teen, to old age isn't going to work, due to the simple fact, as that when inactivity usually increases, without cutting back on food consumption, there is little if any compensation for adjusting accordingly to age and reduced physical activities.

Being fat and fit is a short lived lifestyle that needs to be adjusted ASAP to better sustain a quality of life (with food) and not quantity (of food) conducive to a healthy fit and happy life.

[JR 137]

You can be fat and fit simultaneously. It depends on how you define "fit." VO2 Max is a great indicator of fitness - maximal aerobic capacity. I know many "fat" people who are very good athletes. They can easily keep up with people who "aren't fat." With a BMI of 33, I'm "moderately obese." My senior year of high school (1994), I wrestled at 177 lbs. According to BMI, I was "overweight." Trust me, I wasn't overweight at 177. I was at 8% body fat - we did body fat testing to know how much weight we could safely lose. I was told to stay at 177 because the next weight class - 167 - would be too much to lose for me.

Sorry for the tangent . My point is body fat percentage is far better. BMI is great for populations, but not for individuals. Have someone who knows how to do body fat percentage properly check yours. Those scales that you can buy that calculate it by sending an electrical impulse through your body aren't accurate at all.

I read an interesting article in Men's Health magazine a while back that said it's actually better to be thin and not exercise than "fat but fit." They talked about blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, etc. Men's Health is a great magazine. They don't say anything without citing legitimate scientific studies. It may be watered down for laypeople to understand, but they're pretty legit. They also publish Women's Health and Prevention magazine. Here's a link to the article...

http://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/obesity-and-exercise

[Spartacus Maximus]

Fat but relatively in good health is possible. However, carrying more fat than average for one's age always inevitably leads to problems caused by the burden this puts on the body's systems.

Obese is a pathological problem and is unhealthy itself even if the person concerned has yet to develop other issues. Training in martial arts or doing any kind of physical activity on a regular basis is one of the best ways to become fit and stay fit, as well as preventing the many health issues that result from the modern sedentary lifestyle.

[DWx]

However, carrying more fat than average for one's age always inevitably leads to problems caused by the burden this puts on the body's systems.

I think this is it really. Larger body mass puts more strain on the heart, lungs and other organs.

I'm overweight, I know it. I've run half marathons and score pretty decently when it comes to strength standards or fitness standards like the Bleep test. But am I healthy? Honestly the answer is no.

One of the examples I always see for "fat but fit" is rugby players. Many of these guys are overweight or obese yet can spend 90 minutes sprinting and tackling.

Where does this stop though? Do we consider strongmen, many of whom are overweight, fit? How about sumo?

[Alan Armstrong]

However, carrying more fat than average for one's age always inevitably leads to problems caused by the burden this puts on the body's systems.

I think this is it really. Larger body mass puts more strain on the heart, lungs and other organs.

I'm overweight, I know it. I've run half marathons and score pretty decently when it comes to strength standards or fitness standards like the Bleep test. But am I healthy? Honestly the answer is no.

One of the examples I always see for "fat but fit" is rugby players. Many of these guys are overweight or obese yet can spend 90 minutes sprinting and tackling.

Where does this stop though? Do we consider strongmen, many of whom are overweight, fit? How about sumo?

A quick Google search on Sumo wrestlers life expectancy is 63 years.

Youngest died at 22 oldest 91

Average life expectancy of Japanese men is 78

A Sumo wrestlers life expectancy is 15 years shorter than the average Japanese male.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Having more fat than average and being obesity should not be thought of as the same condition. By defenition, an obese person is neither healthy nor fit. The very concept of "fat but fit" is part of a distinctly modern mentality which attempts to excuse or make acceptable as normal the problems caused by a lifestyle of excesses compounded by inactivity.

Physical strength or endurance are not the only things that make a person healthy and fit. In fact these two qualities are impossible to achieve or maintain for very long if one is fat. Being healthy and fit also depends on essential support such how one eats and getting proper rest to recover.