Do you think you can be above your ideal weight and still healthy?
I was having a fierce argument with a close friend earlier today about this idea.
Her argument was to point out those overweight athletes who still compete highly competitively. She said it proved that it must be possible to be fat and fit. She also reckoned that being fat put something in reserve if you became ill. Interesting thing is that at one time there was debate amongst scientists about some very similar ideas. In fact some studies seemed to suggest that people who are a bit overweight often outlive many of those who are within an ideal weight range.
But don’t go and grab the ice cream from the freezer just yet.
See that early work on this got it quite wrong. And the reason is simple as pie. People who are ill or smoke tend to lose weight. Take any sample of the population and some people will be thin for these reasons. Ignore this in the statistics and the numbers will point to a very wrong conclusion: that fat is not so bad after all.
Adjust the numbers to take this factor into account and the picture is transformed. You actually increase your chances of an early death greatly if you are overweight. The more overweight you are the more you risk your health and life. In truth diabetes and cancer can be waiting just around the corner as your weight soars up.
But look on the positive side: what a great incentive to start losing some pounds right away…
