While some doctors argue that you can be “fat but fit,” other medical health professionals say that claim about obesity is misleading.
New research published the International Journal of Epidemiology has found that regardless of their level of aerobic fitness, men who maintain a “normal” weight are at a lower mortality risk than obese men with high aerobic fitness.
The study looked at the data for 1,317,713 men who had an average age of 18 and assessed the men’s aerobic fitness.
They found that 29 years later, men who were in the highest one-fifth of aerobic fitness had a 48% lower risk of all-cause mortality than those in the lowest one-fifth. The latter team also more likely to have a death by suicide, alcohol and drug abuse or trauma-related death.
In addition, men of normal weight with low aerobic fitness still had a 30% lower risk of death than obese men who were aerobically fit. This seems to support the idea that aerobic fitness doesn’t counteract the negative effects of obesity.
Obesity in the United States
So, how bad is the obesity epidemic in the U.S.?
With approximately 78.6 million obese adults in the country, it’s expensive to treat obesity-related health issues. According to Medical News Today, obesity costs the country around $147 million in 2008. The highest rates of obesity are among middle-aged adults (ages 40-59), and most is caused by some combination of high calorie consumption, leading a sedentary lifestyle and lack of sleep, though there are other causes. For example, certain medications can cause you to gain wait, as can quitting smoking. Genetics can also play a role, as can consuming foods that interfere with lipid metabolism.
Losing weight
Although healthy eating and exercise are no doubt the healthiest ways to lose weight, some doctors may also recommend a short-term weight loss pill to help control your appetite. These pills aren’t right for everyone, so you’ll need to have the discussion with your doctor to determine if you’re a good candidate.
