Fat and Fit; Skinny and Unhealthy?

You, I and the rest of the world have a self esteem that seems to depend how much we weigh. But is being overweight really all bad for you or could you possibly be overweight and healthy?

First of all, it is important to understand the difference between overweight and obese. The Body Mass Index (BMI) is the international standard for judging what constitutes being overweight or obese. BMI is calculated by dividing the weight in kilograms by the square of the height in meters. For people aged 18 years and over, a BMI of 25 or more is considered overweight, and 30 or more is obese.

Being obese is never healthy but being overweight might not be so bad if you’re fit and physically active. “[A] fit man carrying 50 pounds of body fat had a death rate less than one-half that of an unfit man with only 25 pounds of body fat”, says the Harvard Health Policy Review, 2003

Exercise is important for any human being – overweight or not. It is this physical activity of the body that makes a person healthier than others. A high level of fitness is essential in developing a healthy lifestyle. While overweight persons have been known to be more prone to developing heart-related problems, it may not be true in every case.

A new study shows “that stereotypes about body size can be misleading, and that even "less voluptuous" people can have risk factors commonly associated with obesity, said study author MaryFran Sowers, a University of Michigan obesity researcher.”

So just because you weigh a little more than you did last month, it doesn’t automatically make you a person who’s likely to die sooner rather than later. It’s more about a person’s level of fitness, their eating preferences, smoking habits and other varied lifestyle choices. Being overweight doesn’t necessarily mean free qualification into the league of unhealthy, unfit heart attacks waiting to happen!

So, maybe its time we stopped obsessing about our weight and use that time to get some exercise instead. Don’t revel in being unhealthily obese but at the same time, don’t drive yourself crazy thinking about what a health risk you are. You can be fat and fit, and a Big Beautiful Woman or a Big Handsome Man and let no one tell you otherwise!

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