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I was stunned recently while reading The New York Times headline "Better to be Fit and Fat than Skinny and Unfit." The article discussed the mounting research that supports what I’ve known for a while �– fitness comes in many sizes.
There is a lot of research supporting the notion a larger, curvier, heavier person can still be fit. Weight alone is not the villain it once was. In July, a report in the Archives of Medicine compared weight and cardiovascular risk factors of 5,400 adults. According to the data, half of the overweight and one-third of the obese people were metabolically healthy. Despite the excess pounds, many had healthy levels of cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose. What does this say? That not all overweight or obese people are in danger of a heart attack.
Where does fitness come in? Several studies from the Cooper Institute in Dallas looked at fitness levels using treadmills, where results were loud and clear. Obese people who could keep up had a lower risk of heart disease then those who were slim and unfit.
From my own experience, there are many indicators other than weight that define good health. As an athletic size 12, I do not match the Hollywood ideal of a single-digit body type. People are always asking if I truly believe overweight people can be healthy. Absolutely. Now, the scientific community is backing me up.
Because of society’s obsession with thinness many women told me they felt they had to lose weight before they could even think about exercising. I am telling people there is a place for them.
The longer they wait to be skinny the more time they are wasting. Now is the time to get up, move and stop waiting for your body to shrink with some crazy fad diet. We both know this way of eating will never get you there.
Fitness is not just for thin people anymore. I keep saying it and apparently someone was listening. Years ago, at more than 300 pounds, I never dreamed of being fit. I just wanted to lose weight and look normal, whatever that meant.
Today, the norm is being overweight as two-thirds of females are overweight or obese. Does this mean weight is irrelevant? Absolutely not. But it is no longer an excuse for being a couch potato. You don’t have to be skinny to look and feel good. It is time to realize we can have hips and thighs and a shape that is round and still work on being healthy.
Be the best you can be in the body you are in today, and challenge yourself to improve that body — making it healthier and stronger for your future.
Debra Mazda is an exercise physiologist and wellness coach. She is the creator of ShapelyGirl Fitness, which released the low-impact cardio workout "Let’s Get Moving," available at www.debramazda.com. Contact her at debra@debramazda.com.
