Does being
overweight automatically mean you’re unhealthy?
How about if you’re skinny – does that mean you’re healthy? A recent
study published Sept. 5, 2012 in the European Heart Journal showed that people
can be overweight yet still healthy and fit.
The
groundbreaking study of more than 43,000 people showed that there are more
indicators than just body weight when it comes to the risk of developing heart
disease and diabetes. In the study, more
than 18,500 were assessed as metabolically fit, which directly correlated to
overall good health and lack of disease.
The key is being
metabolically fit. This means you can implement a diet and exercise regimen
that lowers blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar while balancing
hormones and controlling inflammation—regardless of your weight.
I’m skinny, so I’m healthy
There is a
stigma that overweight people are always sick and skinny people are generally healthy. The research highlights that your weight and
body type do not always matter.
Choosing
a healthy lifestyle and implementing proactive, preventative techniques like
diet and exercise work for people of all waist sizes.
An important
question is: If I like the way I look, then I’m healthy, right? If you don’t actively exercise or eat a
healthy diet, you’re still prone to develop high blood pressure, inflammation
and diseases connected to a poor lifestyle.
Healthy lifestyles should be applied by everyone because they benefit
everyone. No one loses as a result of smart choices.
Who’s at greatest risk?
Obesity is infamous
for causing diabetes and heart disease, but the findings of the study help
identify overweight individuals who are at highest risk due to large amounts of
midsection fat and lack of physical activity.
Researchers have
found waist size to be more useful than BMI in predicting risk factors. BMI is
a ratio of an individual’s height to weight.
This system has been under question as it fails to distinguish muscle
from body fat and most importantly where the fat is located in the body. Waist circumference measures the amount of
belly fat, and helps assess how fat is distributed throughout the body.
As many as one
in six deaths can be linked to physical inactivity, according to a recent 2012 study
published in The Lancet. Dr. I-Min Lee, the lead researcher from Harvard
Medical School said, “Only about one quarter of the world’s population smokes,
but about two-thirds are inactive.”
What should I do?
What you eat—and
don’t eat—has a powerful effect on your health. Without knowing it, you may be
eating many foods that disrupt hormones, add belly fat and increase blood
pressure while neglecting the powerful nutrients that can protect you.
Cut back on sugars
and other unhealthy carbohydrates.
Processed sugars are the leading cause of weight gain, especially around
the midsection of the body. Many
processed sugars are in foods that also contain preservatives and artificial
colorings that can add to the toxic load of the body. The build-up of toxins causes
disease.
Eat more
vegetables. They have significant amounts of vitamins and antioxidants that
fend off disease naturally. Vegetables
also have significantly less sugar than fruit.
Eating too much fruit has the ability to cause uncontrolled blood sugar
and insulin imbalances. Insulin is
responsible for storing excess sugar as fat.
Engaging in an
exercise program can keep you healthy even if you carry some extra weight.
Don't get caught up with the numbers on the scale as long as you’re exercising
and eating right. If you change your diet and behaviors, you can minimize your
risks of many of the most common deadly diseases.
Dr. Cory Couillard is an international healthcare speaker and columnist for numerous newspapers, magazines, websites and publications throughout the world. He works in collaboration with the World Health Organization's goals of disease prevention and global healthcare education. Views do not necessarily reflect endorsement.
Email: drcorycouillard@gmail.com
Facebook: Dr Cory Couillard
Twitter: DrCoryCouillard
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