A new study from Spain has challenged the notion that being 'fat but fit' can offset the cardiovascular risks associated with obesity. Analysing data from over 520,000 adults, researchers found that active obese individuals still face significantly higher risks of heart attack, stroke, high cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure compared to inactive people of normal weight.
The study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, divided participants into weight categories and activity levels based on WHO guidelines. While exercise did reduce the risk of hypertension and diabetes, it did not eliminate the negative effects of excess body fat. For instance, active obese individuals were twice as likely to have high cholesterol, four times more likely to have diabetes, and five times more likely to have high blood pressure than inactive normal-weight individuals.
Lead author Alejandro Lucia, an exercise physiologist at the European University in Madrid, stated: 'One cannot be fat but healthy. This was the first nationwide analysis to show that being regularly active is not likely to eliminate the detrimental health effects of excess body fat.' He emphasised that weight loss should remain a primary target for health policies alongside promoting active lifestyles.
The findings contradict the popular belief that physical activity alone can counteract obesity's health impacts. The researchers hope to dispel the myth that 'fat but fit' is comparable to 'thin but unfit' in terms of heart health. They argue that policy makers who prioritise sport over weight loss have been employing the wrong approach.
