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Fit & Fat
It is well documented that being overweight or obese is associated with numerous serious health risks. How- ever, reseachers have been finding that people can be healthy, fit and fat. Philip Walker , MS managing part- ner of the Dallas-based Walker Wellness Clinic, a comprehen- sive eating disorder treament center incorporating psychotherapy, medication management, nutrition therapy and excersise pre- scription,offers insights into this issue.
The
Way Obesity Is Measured Can Be Misleading. In 1998 the National Heart,
Lung and Blood Institute released the first federal guidelines on identifying,
evaluating and treating overweight and obesity in adults. These guidelines
low- ered the thresholds for being obese and overweight, instantly putting
many more people in these categories. The institute defined being overweight
as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9 and being obese as having
a BMI of 30 or above. (BMI is calculated as weight in kilograms divided
by height in meters squared.)
Using BMI as an obesity measurement has its limitations. BMI is not a reliable predictor of fitness level or blood pres- sure and does not distinguish between lean and fat tissue (the single most important factor in detennining obesity). Moreover, BMI does not take into account race, ethnicity, age or gender. For these reasons, some researchers have warned that using BMI as the sole measurement of healthy weight may do more harm than good.
Research
Says You Can Be Fit and Fat. To the ques- tion "Can a person be healthy
and fat?" an increasing number of experts are answering, "Yes!" Researchers
examined 21,925 men of all shapes and sizes. The investigators assessed
the men's body composition and then closely monitored their medical histories
for an average of 8 years. They found that the men who were fat and fit
did not have an elevated mortality rate. In fact, the fat, fit men had
a lower mortality rate than the normal-weight men who were unfit. Other
studies have con- firmed that low fitness, caused by being sedentary,is
more impor- tant than obesity as an indicator of mortality and that poor
cardiorespiratoty fitness is a strong, independent predictor of death
by any cause (Lee, Blair & Jackson, 1999, J ournal of the American Medical
Assocation, 69 [3]).
Doctors
Often Fail to Emphasize Exercise. Using indicators like BMI, medical professionals
continue to focus on weight loss alone, neglecting exercise. Yet excercise
can result in substantial levels of aerobic fitness, flexibility and muscular
strength and endurance.
Losing
Weight Isn't Always The Answer. There is no doubt that weight loss can
benefit the health of many peo- ple who are defined as obese or overweight,
particularly if the weight is lost by making permanent lifestyle changes,
such as adhereing to healthier diet and participating in regular exer-
cise. However, the reality is that losing weight is daunting to those
who have constantly struggled with their weight. Is weight loss really
necessary for all overweight or obese peo- pIe? Although weight reductions
as small as 3 to 9 percent of body weight have been shown to improve health
in people with risk factors (Hermansen, 2000, British Journal of Nutrition,
83), it is still unclear whether weight loss is advantageous in those
who are overweight and healthy.
Fit
and Fat Role Models Show the Way. An increas- ing number of people are
living proof that it is possible to be fit and fat. Take Dave Alexander,
for example. At 5 feet 8 inches tall, he weighs 250 pounds, has a BMI
of 38 and is considered morbidly obese. He has. also completed 264 triathlons.
A typ- ical trainng week consist of swimmmg 5 miles, running 30 and cycling
200. He has a resting pulse of 60 beats per minute, his blood pressure
is 120 over 80, and he has perfectly normal stress level results. In short,
he is a fit, healthy athlete.
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