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Fat and Fit?
by Tanya Zilberter, PhD
A crack in the nation-wide thinness obsession? 
A crack in the nation-wide thinness obsession?
Is it possible to be fat and fit or fat and happy?
Some think so. The obesity experts say that being 30 pounds overweight
isn't all that dangerous. If you're less than 30 pounds overweight, you
should really be worried if you have two or more risk factors such as heart
disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and the "peer"
body share when fat is all gathered around your middle.
I've done some research and come up with quite opposite results though
they concern professional Olympic level Sumo wrestlers - really BIG people.
Sumo wrestlers health risks are not decreased due to their athleticism!
On the other hand, this is an extreme case and nobody argues about the
harmful consequences of being that overweight. But there are also data on
competitive swimmers versus runners, which fitness levels are quite similar
but body fat percentages are different - so are their blood test profiles!
CNN published an article "On resolutions and motivation, and loving love
handles," by Carolyn O'Neil, CNN Registered Dietician.
I think that three very important new points have been made there:
1) A crack in the nation-wide thinness fixation seems to have appeared:
"...As the baby boomer generation moves toward age 50 and up, there's
more widespread acceptance of carrying a few more pounds. It seems that since
the majority of their friends are 'pleasingly plump,' as it were, they start
to think a little more weight actually looks OK. The
Nation's body fat acceptance is changing."
2) The trend was observed, of healthy eating versus dietary restrictions.
"... Diet concerns will include a healthy trend, more about adding good
foods to the diet, rather than one of avoidance."
3) Moderate but consistent increase in energy expenditure was recommended
as a good alternative to vigorous exercises.
"... Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking your car farther
away in the supermarket parking lot, and just getting out to walk for a
Half-hour three times a week can really make a difference."
Even more radical news followed: For some, overweight is OK. Unsuccessful
dieters focus more on happiness, by Food and
Health Correspondent Linda Ciampa: "There are indications that a growing
number of overweight people are giving up on diets and accepting their size.
For some, being overweight is not necessarily bad."
No doubts, good health habits do good for everybody, no matter what size
is: "We can yo-yo diet, which has been documented as unhealthy, or we can
try to be as healthy as we can, regardless of our weight."
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