There’s No Healthy Levels of Obesity, Study Suggests

Lisa Franchi December 04, 2013

The idea that you can be fat and healthy is a myth as excess fats still carry health risks, even if your cholesterol, blood pressure and sugar levels are normal, according to new research.

A new study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine challenges the popular belief that being overweight does not necessarily imply health risks, especially if a person is healthy in other ways. Researchers from Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto Canada looked at the findings of over 1,000 published studies and found no healthy pattern of increased weight when heart health was monitored for more than 10 years.

They argued that people who are metabolically healthy but overweight probably have underlying risk factors that worsen over time. "This really casts doubt on the existence of healthy obesity.” lead investigator Dr Ravi Retnakaran told BBC.

"This data is suggesting that both patients who are obese who are metabolically unhealthy and patients who are obese who are metabolically healthy are both at increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, such that benign obesity may indeed be a myth."

Obesity and heart risks

The new study indicates that there’s no healthy level of obesity. "So, even if your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels are normal, being obese can still put your heart at risk." said Doireann Maddock, a senior cardiac nurse from the British Heart Foundation. She also added that it is more important to look at one’s overall lifestyle than individual risk factors.

"As well as watching your weight, if you stop smoking, get regular physical activity and keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels at a healthy level, you can make a real difference in reducing your risk of heart disease… If you are concerned about your weight and want to know more about the changes you should make, visit your GP to talk it through."

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’Healthy and overweight’ is a myth, study suggests