Fat but Fit?

Is it okay to be fat if you’re fit, and what does that actually mean?

The concept that an individual can be overweight and still be healthy, also known as the fat but fit paradox, has been researched and debated on both sides. True, some studies have demonstrated that one can be fat but fit. However, many other studies have demonstrated that obesity, despite being fit, precludes individuals to higher health risks and a greater risk of mortality. But, then there have been studies that show that healthy weight individuals who are not fit could have a higher risk of mortality than obese but fit individuals. Finally, it has also been shown that healthy individuals with a low cardiorespiratory fitness level had a higher risk of mortality eight years later when compared to those that were at least moderately fit.(1) This demonstrates the effect of fitness overall on an individual’s well-being. Clearly the benefits of being fit could have a positive impact on individuals of all weights.

But the question is, can an individual be overweight and still be healthy? According to research by Ortega et al., metabolically healthy but obese individuals have better fitness than their metabolically abnormal obese peers. No differences were observed in the prognosis between metabolically healthy but obese individuals compared to metabolically healthy normal-fat individuals. The metabolically healthy but obese group showed a lower risk of all-cause mortality, non-fatal and fatal cardiovascular disease, and cancer mortality, when compared to their metabolically unhealthy peers. (2)…