Study Shows ‘Fat but fit’ is a Myth

February 2, 2021 VA Worker Aging & Health Comments Off on Study Shows ‘Fat but fit’ is a Myth
Disclosure: Links to other sites may be affiliate links that generate us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

A new research study[1] shows that the concept of being fat but healthy is not valid and that having excess body fat means you are still prone to heart diseases. According to previous studies, being physically fit could alleviate the harsh effects of having extra weight on heart health. However, a recent study shows that those who are overweight are still very susceptible to having an unhealthy heart.

Body mass index
A recent study shows that being overweight is still a risk to your health – even if otherwise you are in very good shape.

What was the Goal of the Research Study?

The study aimed to prove that even when maintaining an active lifestyle, one can still be vulnerable to heart health issues if the excess body fat isn’t eliminated. It also focuses on clarifying that being fat and being fit are not mutually exclusive. Just as much as being thin but unfit. Moreover, its goal is to show that excess body fat has detrimental health effects.

Physical fitness
Maintaining a healthy body mass index is important, studies show.

What were the Research Methods of the Study?

Researchers gathered and analyzed data from 527,662 working adults with an average age of 42 from Spain. 32 percent of these adults are women. They were grouped according to activity level, body weight, and BMI. 42 percent of participants were normal weight, with a BMI of 20-24.9. 41 percent were overweight and with 25-29.9 BMI, while the remaining 18 percent were obese with a BMI of 30 or above.

The majority of the participants were inactive, but 12.3 percent were insufficiently active, and 24.2 percent were regularly active. Some 30 percent had high cholesterol, 15 percent had high blood pressure, and 3 percent had diabetes. The researchers looked into the links between each BMI and activity group and the three risk factors.

What were the Results and Conclusions of the Findings?

The study showed that everyone who did physical activity had a decreased chance of diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol compared to being inactive. The study author, Dr. Alejandro Lucia, said that “this tells us that everyone, irrespective of their body weight, should be physically active to safeguard their health.” Additionally, the study came up with a conclusion that those who are overweight and obese exhibit greater cardiovascular risks regardless of how much exercise they did.

Obese and active participants showed greater chances to have high cholesterol, four times likely to have diabetes, and five times as likely to have high blood pressure compared to participants within the normal weight but inactive.

Running for fitness
Running is just one of many ways to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.

Recommendations for Fitness Trainees Based on the Research

Excess weight has fatal effects that could not be compensated for by just exercising. It is best to fight inactivity and obesity at the same time. Therefore, positive weight loss, healthy and active lifestyle should be maintained for better cardiovascular health.

References

1. “Joint association of physical activity and body mass index with cardiovascular risk: a nationwide population-based cross-sectional study”

Related Articles

Woman sleeping - timely sleep may be an essential part of maintaining a healthy weight.
Aging & Health

Can you “catch up” on sleep?

March 3, 2019 Tim Aging & Health Comments Off on Can you “catch up” on sleep?
Disclosure: Links to other sites may be affiliate links that generate us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Can you use the weekends to “catch up” on missed sleep? A new study published in the journal Current Biology seems to indicate that you can’t.[1] In this study, a number of participants were split up into three groups. Two groups slept only 5 hours per weeknight, and the other slept 9 hours per night. One group that slept less during the week were allowed to sleep as much as they wanted on the weekend – to “catch up”. This didn’t prevent that group from gaining weight – due to metabolic dysregulation from the lost sleep. The researchers concluded that: “Weekend recovery sleep did not prevent weight gain or reduced insulin sensitivity” Insulin sensitivity is an important factor in maintaining [Read more …]

A coffee cup, with black coffee, and a spoon, on a table-top.
Aging & Health

Coffee Before Exercise Increases Fat Burn

April 3, 2021 Tim Aging & Health Comments Off on Coffee Before Exercise Increases Fat Burn
Disclosure: Links to other sites may be affiliate links that generate us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

A new research study[1] shows that caffeine improves the maximal fat oxidation (MFO) rate and aerobic capacity, which are lower in the morning than in the afternoon. The result of the study validates the earlier reported diurnal variation in the whole-body fat oxidation rate during graded exercise in active caffeine-naïve men and shows that the acute ingestion of 3 mg/kg of caffeine boosts MFO, Fatmax, and VO2max independent of the time of day. What was the Goal of the Research Study? Metabolic flexibility has lately been proposed as an additional key factor influencing performance in endurance exercises. Athletes’ endurance is lower early in the morning and late at night than in the afternoon, and that MFO and Fatmax are higher [Read more …]

Body-weight exercises include lunges, and more
Aging & Health

Research Study: 11 Minutes of Bodyweight Exercise Can Improve Cardio Fitness

January 21, 2021 VA Worker Aging & Health Comments Off on Research Study: 11 Minutes of Bodyweight Exercise Can Improve Cardio Fitness
Disclosure: Links to other sites may be affiliate links that generate us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

A new research study[1] shows that as little as eleven minutes of burpees, jump squats, and other exercises can improve aerobic fitness, according to one of the first randomized, controlled trials to test the effects of brief body-weight workouts. What was the Goal of the Research Study? Few experiments studied the effects of short body-weight workouts on endurance and strength, and those few had shortcomings. They concentrated on people who were already fit, and none met the scientific gold standard of being randomized and being an inactive control group. Therefore, researchers’ confidence in short body-weight training benefits may have been expected, but there was no proof. What were the Research Methods of the Study? Researchers from the McMaster University community [Read more …]