Are you fat? That is not a concern because its possible to Be Fat And Healthy
Some refreshing news that might be music to the ears!
Are you one of those who is on the heavier side or just fat? That’s actually good for you!
In a study published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, York University researchers report that similar to slim people, obese but otherwise healthy people live just as long lives and are less likely succumb to cardiovascular deaths.
Lead author who is also an assistant professor in York’s School of Kinesiology & Health Science, Faculty of Health, Jennifer Kuk said: “Our findings challenge the idea that all obese individuals need to lose weight.” She added: “Moreover, it’s possible that trying – and failing – to lose weight may be more detrimental than simply staying at an elevated body weight and engaging in a healthy lifestyle that includes physical activity and a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables.”
Over a 16-year period, Kuk and team examined 6,000 obese Americans and compared their mortality risk to that of slimmer individuals.
The researchers found that people with little or no psychological, physical, or physiological ailments were obese and on the heavier side, but were content with this weight and made no exclusive attempts at weight loss throughout their lives. Further, these people were more physically active and consumed a healthy diet.
A newly developed grading tool developed by University of Alberta researchers known as the Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS) was found to be more accurate than BMI assessments, and it was used by researchers to identify individuals who attempt weight loss. EOSS is a model based on staging systems to categorize the severity and extent of ailments like heart disease, mental illness, and cancer. The model classifies obesity under 5 stages based on both traditional clinical measurements of medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease that are often caused or aggravated by obesity, clubbed with physical measurements such as waist-to-hip ratio and BMI.
Kuk emphasizes the need for individuals to consult a physician and be assessed using the EOSS criteria in order to determine whether or not they should opt for weight loss.
The co-authors of the study are: Chris Ardern, Assistant Professor, York University; Timothy S. Church, Director of the Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Pennington Biomedical Research Center; Arya M. Sharma, Professor of Medicine & Chair in Obesity Research and Management at the University of Alberta, and Scientific Director of the Canadian Obesity Network; Raj Padwal, Associate Professor, University of Alberta; Xuemei Sui, Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina; and Steven N. Blair, Professor, University of South Carolina.