The Slim Is Fit Myth
BobMcCloskey
Posts: 117
OK, I am 51 years old. I am 6'2" and 290 lbs I work out aggressively with weights 3 times a week, (I can bench press my own weight), and I can run a 5K in under 40 minutes. Not great, but at least I can do it. I also train in martial arts. Been doing it for over 20 years, and I still compete and win. My blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and sugar levels are all normal.
The point is, people in the past, especially in the martial arts community, look at me and say, you're fat. You need to lose weight. You need to get in shape. Having heard this a lot in the last ten years or so has done a number on my self image. I have been dieting and have lost 20 lbs since January. My goal is to lose another 30 or 40 lbs. I am not trying to have a 6 pack that shows, but I guarantee you that I have one underneath there with all the core work that I do.
Now the question I have is, would any of you think of saying that to an NFL offensive lineman? I look at how big those guys are around the middle, and they are in phenomenal shape to compete and perform at the level that they do. I think that someone built like myself can be big, and still be in excellent shape.
Your thoughts?
The point is, people in the past, especially in the martial arts community, look at me and say, you're fat. You need to lose weight. You need to get in shape. Having heard this a lot in the last ten years or so has done a number on my self image. I have been dieting and have lost 20 lbs since January. My goal is to lose another 30 or 40 lbs. I am not trying to have a 6 pack that shows, but I guarantee you that I have one underneath there with all the core work that I do.
Now the question I have is, would any of you think of saying that to an NFL offensive lineman? I look at how big those guys are around the middle, and they are in phenomenal shape to compete and perform at the level that they do. I think that someone built like myself can be big, and still be in excellent shape.
Your thoughts?
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Replies
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Maybe so, but carrying around that weight is still not healthy. Keep at the weight loss and you won't regret the hard work and discipline at all.0
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I think people need to keep their opinions to themselves, personally.
Having practiced Judo for the last 20 years I have seen all shapes and sizes be successful. Because of the nature of Judo, being short and squat is an advantage.0 -
I'd say it to an offensive linemen.. they are athletic, but carrying around that much excess weight can't be good for the heart.0
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im obese with no health problems0
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Fat is fat. I think people are using the word "shape" just to mean lose fat, not being "fit". It is a broad term is all. Great job so far by the way. Keep it up.0
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OK, I am 51 years old. I am 6'2" and 290 lbs I work out aggressively with weights 3 times a week, (I can bench press my own weight), and I can run a 5K in under 40 minutes. Not great, but at least I can do it. I also train in martial arts. Been doing it for over 20 years, and I still compete and win. My blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and sugar levels are all normal.
The point is, people in the past, especially in the martial arts community, look at me and say, you're fat. You need to lose weight. You need to get in shape. Having heard this a lot in the last ten years or so has done a number on my self image. I have been dieting and have lost 20 lbs since January. My goal is to lose another 30 or 40 lbs. I am not trying to have a 6 pack that shows, but I guarantee you that I have one underneath there with all the core work that I do.
Now the question I have is, would any of you think of saying that to an NFL offensive lineman? I look at how big those guys are around the middle, and they are in phenomenal shape to compete and perform at the level that they do. I think that someone built like myself can be big, and still be in excellent shape.
Your thoughts?
I agree with you in principle, if your health markers are good and you are satisfied, some magic body fat percentage # isn't going to make a difference.
But the offensive lineman you speak of, often times have health problems, especially diabetes, to purposefully remain at weights +350 lbs. Almost all report having health problems and needing to lose lots of weight in life after football. I believe an offensive lineman in the news was just cut from the patriots for being diagnosed with type II diabetes. Several others have it have to manage it. Weight is a factor, especially at high levels.
If you don't have any problems now, that's awesome. You may never. That's awesome. However, you may develop them five years from now. No guarantees, but excess weight in the form of fat definitely is a risk factor.0 -
Now the question I have is, would any of you think of saying that to an NFL offensive lineman? I look at how big those guys are around the middle, and they are in phenomenal shape to compete and perform at the level that they do. I think that someone built like myself can be big, and still be in excellent shape.
Your thoughts?
Most offensive linemen are overweight by any standard of measurement. They may not be unhealthy, but they are fairly young for the most part. Their risk of future health problems is lowered through the exercise their sport demands, but it is also increased by the extra fat.0 -
I totally agree. I know many people who are "skinny fat", ie. they look slim and fit on the outside but get them on the track and they run 100ft then stop and are out of breath. I'm also a nurse and see many many patients with high blood pressure and cholesterol who look perfectly healthy and even workout daily, but their resting HR is around 90, BP is sky high or their blood sugar is crazy so their cardiac health is not ideal.
I am like you. Starting out I was 240 lbs (female 5'7") so you would look at me and say "wow she must have knee pain, back pain, diabetes, high cholesterol, high BP, hypothyroidism, PCOS, etc." Nope. I had all of my labs done back in October and all were perfectly normal, I've had two completely normal pregnancies (so no PCOS) and my BP was 120s/70s and HR was around 70. No joint pain either. But I had to do something because I looked horrible and felt disgusted with myself. So I'm halfway to my goal now, at 196, still in the obese category but my resting HR is 52, BP is 106/64 (checked it today), I can run a 5K no problem and I do Insanity daily. From the outside I'm still fat, on the inside some may consider me an athlete (that's so funny to say, lol).0 -
True, slim isn't necessarily fit.
And just because you're overweight, doesn't mean you can't accomplish awesome things.
And, nobody has any business telling what you "should" do, unless it's "if you want to do X, then you should do Y".
That said, dropping some of that bodyfat will likely improve your overall health and abilities, rather than hinder it.
"Fit" isn't a binary yes/no thing. Some people think "fit" is a mere lack of symptoms, today. Other think it means "able to do X", and others might think it's a certain look. Other people it's lowered risk for health problems in the future. What's your goal?0 -
Now the question I have is, would any of you think of saying that to an NFL offensive lineman? I look at how big those guys are around the middle, and they are in phenomenal shape to compete and perform at the level that they do. I think that someone built like myself can be big, and still be in excellent shape.
Your thoughts?
I agree with you generally, although I'll note out that many NFL linemen ARE fat and, while also athletic, are fat because they believe that being fat (specifically, carrying fat weight) assists them with their profession. I'll also note that there has been a trend toward slimmer, more athletic linemen and the days of linemen regularly pushing 320+ are probably gone for now as the NFL shifts to a passing league.
Anyway, to answer your question, slim does not equal fit. But fat also does not equal fit.
Fat, however, does equal fat. So while I would not call a FAT offensive linemen unfit, I would most certainly call him FAT. :laugh: No different than any other fat athlete or powerlifter.
It seems mean and hurtful only because of all the negative connotations that being fat comes with. Nowadays, frankly, being "skinny" is also starting to come with negative connotations so if nothing else you can rest assured that somewhere out there you have a skinny (i.e. low body fat) counterpart who is being told that they are "skin and bones" and "need to eat more" and "gain weight".
The upshot is that people can be hurtful, sometimes purposefully. You sound like you are in good athletic shape, although carrying more fat than you need to be. So if you say you are big, but in excellent shape, I believe you. But... you might be faster being leaner.0 -
OK, I am 51 years old. I am 6'2" and 290 lbs I work out aggressively with weights 3 times a week, (I can bench press my own weight), and I can run a 5K in under 40 minutes. Not great, but at least I can do it. I also train in martial arts. Been doing it for over 20 years, and I still compete and win. My blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and sugar levels are all normal.
The point is, people in the past, especially in the martial arts community, look at me and say, you're fat. You need to lose weight. You need to get in shape. Having heard this a lot in the last ten years or so has done a number on my self image. I have been dieting and have lost 20 lbs since January. My goal is to lose another 30 or 40 lbs. I am not trying to have a 6 pack that shows, but I guarantee you that I have one underneath there with all the core work that I do.
Now the question I have is, would any of you think of saying that to an NFL offensive lineman? I look at how big those guys are around the middle, and they are in phenomenal shape to compete and perform at the level that they do. I think that someone built like myself can be big, and still be in excellent shape.
Your thoughts?
Sorry people have said some sh*tty stuff to you. That's not cool.
However, if you're overweight, you're overweight. No amount of being fit makes up for it. Extra weight leads to health problems. But that doesn't mean that being slim equals health either. I know plenty of slender people who are unhealthy.....and most of them aren't very fit either. There's balance to be found for both ends of the spectrum.
And yes, if I were someone of influence over an offensive lineman, I would absolutely tell them they were unhealthy. I'm sure many of them go on to develop diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis (although some of this is obviously work related), gout, thyroid issues, etc, etc, etc. Just because they are fit, doesn't make them healthy.0 -
Interesting read from Mayo Clinic, regarding Lineman, Obesity, Sleep Apnea, and higher incidence of mortality in football lineman than the general population.
Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:54pm EDT
Mayo Clinic: Retired National Football League Linemen Have High Incidence of
Sleep Apnea
ORLANDO, Fla., March 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sleep disordered breathing,
also known as sleep apnea, is highly prevalent among retired National Football
League (NFL) players, and particularly in linemen, according to Mayo Clinic
research. This study, involving 167 players, adds to the growing body of
research examining the relationship between sleep apnea and heart disease, the
investigators say.
The study will be presented Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. EDT at the
American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session in Orlando (1048-86).
The research was conducted in collaboration with the Living Heart Foundation.
The Mayo data showed that 60 percent of linemen, average age of 54, had sleep
disordered breathing (SDB), as defined by having at least 10 sleep-related
breathing disorder episodes, such as pauses in breathing, per hour. Linemen
had an average of 18.1 episodes per hour. The monitoring of breathing at night
was conducted while the retired players slept at home. In addition,
researchers discovered that age and obesity (measured by the body mass index,
which corrects the weight for a person's height) were significantly associated
with sleep disordered breathing. Linemen had an average BMI of 34.2; a BMI of
30 or more is considered obese.
Dr. Virend Somers, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist who helped guide the study,
noted that the prevalence of sleep apnea and obesity was higher than expected,
and serves as a warning that athletes need to monitor their weight and health
carefully when they retire, a time when physical activity levels may begin to
decline abruptly. While more research is needed to uncover the link between
sleep disorders and heart disease, there is evidence that sleep apnea may be a
cause of high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease, he
says.
For all other study participants (average age of 53), who played other
positions, 46 percent had sleep apnea with an average of 13.4 sleep-related
disorder episodes per hour. The average BMI was 30.5.
In addition, 45 percent of the linemen and 32 percent of nonlinemen reported
having high blood pressure. "High blood pressure is another risk factor for
cardiac disease, and may be linked to both obesity and sleep apnea," Dr.
Somers says.
Retired football players, and particularly linemen, need to be aware of sleep
disordered breathing and its connection to cardiac risk factors, says lead
author Felipe Albuquerque, M.D. "Many people do not realize that they have a
sleep disorder," he says. "They may have no symptoms that they are aware of,
but perhaps they know they are tired during the day and they're told they
snore very loudly. These can be clues to the presence of sleep apnea. Our
results show that retired linemen need to realize that they are a very high
risk population and may need evaluation and treatment."
Previous research by various institutions and investigators in recent years,
much of which has been assisted by the Living Heart Foundation, showed
concerning health trends for retired NFL players:
-- Retired NFL players are more prone to obesity and obstructive sleep
apnea than the general population.
-- Retired NFL players have an increased rate of metabolic syndrome, a
condition increasingly linked to excess weight and lack of activity,
which can lead to type 2 diabetes.
-- Higher mortality is reported in linemen, as compared to people in the
general population of the same age who are not professional football
players. Research is needed to determine the causes.
About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice
in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for
patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy of "the needs of the
patient come first." More than 3,300 physicians, scientists and researchers
and 46,000 allied health staff work at Mayo Clinic, which has sites in
Rochester, Minn., Jacksonville, Fla., and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz.
Collectively, the three locations treat more than half a million people each
year. To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to
www.mayoclinic.org/news. MayoClinic.com (www.mayoclinic.com) is available as
a resource for your health stories. For more on Mayo Clinic research, go to
www.mayo.edu.
VIDEO ALERT: Additional audio and video resources, including excerpts from an
interview with Dr. Virend Somers describing the research, are available on the
Mayo Clinic News Blog.
SOURCE Mayo Clinic0 -
I am currently very much in the same boat as yourself. Turning 51 in June. 6' 3" and currently at +/- 275 lbs (down from a peak of 346). Started working out seriously again this past year and currently in the best shape that I have been in for more than 2 decades.
Swimming 1-3 miles regularly. Working out with with the UTexas water polo team and keeping up with kids who were not even born yet when I last played competitively in the sport.
That said, I am not kidding myself into thinking that my current 275# frame is a long-term healthy weight for me.
All I have to do is look around.
How many 275# 90 year olds do I see walking around my neck of the woods. Zero.
How many 80 year olds or even 70 year olds do I see at that weight. Pretty close to zero as well.
I have 5 year and 9 year old boys and I plan to be around for them for many decades to come.
Yes, I can say I am in great shape today.
But I intend to have myself at an even better place by the end of this year. Looking to get back into the 200# +/- range and stay there from here on out.
Great work on keeping yourself active but do take a seriousl look around and you might realize that you can be doing even better.
Feel free to send a FR if you care to compare notes help keep us both on track and motivated.0 -
According to a broad study by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, overweight people live longer than people in the BMI range considered healthy, and longer than people in the morbidly obese category. I imagine that researchers will be looking at what factors contributed to these results. In the mean time, if you're exercising, your blood stats are good, and your weight isn't taking a toll on your joints, a few extra pounds are probably nothing to worry about.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/behindtheheadlines/news/2013-01-02-overweight-people-live-longer-study-claims/0 -
There are outliers to everything. You are an outlier in being that physically fit at 290lbs. Yes, that means that it's not impossible for a heavy person to be in reasonable shape. Though even with that said, imagine the shape you'd be in at 190lbs. To even contemplate that that weight is not holding back your physical progress would frankly be denial.
For most people, 'getting in shape' necessarily means losing weight. For most people, skirting close to 300 pounds will cause health issues - either immediately or in later life. For most people, exercise at 290lbs is almost unthinkable.
I'm sure it's annoying to you to be told you need to lose weight, but heck, none of particularly liked it. Even those of us who were out of shape and knew it well.0 -
According to a broad study by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, overweight people live longer than people in the BMI range considered healthy, and longer than people in the morbidly obese category. I imagine that researchers will be looking at what factors contributed to these results. In the mean time, if you're exercising, your blood stats are good, and your weight isn't taking a toll on your joints, a few extra pounds are probably nothing to worry about.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/behindtheheadlines/news/2013-01-02-overweight-people-live-longer-study-claims/
Is that the one where they included the sick and eldery populations?
http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2013/02/weight-and-mortality/0 -
I think that - while it has some value broadly speaking - slavish adherence to an arbitrary number on a scale or a BMI indicator is a poor substitute for better indicators of health, such as body fat %, various bloodwork indicators, and fitness benchmarks. Except at the very lowest weight classes, virtually every fighter I can think of in boxing or MMA enters the ring "overweight," even when the number they hit at "weigh-in" shows as on-target as it pertains to BMI.
Who wants to be the one to tell Floyd Mayweather, Jr, or Jon "Bones" Jones, that he's too heavy?0 -
Would have to agree with the OP to a degree.
Probably my peak fitness was in my mid-thirties when I was playing squash to a pretty good standard. If you judge fitness in terms of speed, strength and endurance then I was very fit compared to my peer group although I was carrying 30lbs more than I am now.
Having no great natural talent at the game I would have to use my fitness to compete with more gifted, and often slimmer, opponents.
However, if I had lost that extra 30lbs way back then I would no doubt have been quicker and have had better endurance.
So yes you can be fat and fit but carrying around a load of extra fat does mean you aren't as fit as you could be.0 -
According to a broad study by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, overweight people live longer than people in the BMI range considered healthy, and longer than people in the morbidly obese category. I imagine that researchers will be looking at what factors contributed to these results. In the mean time, if you're exercising, your blood stats are good, and your weight isn't taking a toll on your joints, a few extra pounds are probably nothing to worry about.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/behindtheheadlines/news/2013-01-02-overweight-people-live-longer-study-claims/
There were a lot of issues with the study. They only took BMI into account and did not specify if it was from fat or muscle. The low BMI category included a large amount of people that were thin because they were wasting away from a chronic illness. The healthy people at a higher BMI, were being more closely monitored by doctors and so were receiving better preventative medical care. Those are just a few of the issues.0 -
According to a broad study by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, overweight people live longer than people in the BMI range considered healthy, and longer than people in the morbidly obese category. I imagine that researchers will be looking at what factors contributed to these results. In the mean time, if you're exercising, your blood stats are good, and your weight isn't taking a toll on your joints, a few extra pounds are probably nothing to worry about.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/behindtheheadlines/news/2013-01-02-overweight-people-live-longer-study-claims/
There were a lot of issues with the study. They only took BMI into account and did not specify if it was from fat or muscle. The low BMI category included a large amount of people that were thin because they were wasting away from a chronic illness. The healthy people at a higher BMI, were being more closely monitored by doctors and so were receiving better preventative medical care. Those are just a few of the issues.
I think it's too soon to dismiss the study, or to jump to the unconditional conclusion that it's okay to be overweight. The study definitely showed that being morbidly obese was riskier than being thin. It was a meta analysis of many studies, so the specifics of body composition were probably not available. Thin people who were wasting away might counterbalance fat people who were suffering from diabetic complications, and both ends of that spectrum would be receiving medical care. The researchers did control for many of the factors that have been brought up in criticizing the work. A study like this doesn't tell us individually what we should weigh for optimal health. It does provide reasons for more research into things like what an optimal body composition really is.
The study made me concerned about all the times I've gone to a doctor who seemed to think that someone as slim as I am couldn't possibly have hypothyroid disease, asthma, or whatever else I've turned out to have. I think that one of the benefits of a study like this is that it might result in thin people getting a closer look from doctors, because slim really does not automatically mean healthy, fit, or "not suffering from any of the diseases of people who are overweight."0 -
Body Fat Percentage does increase risks for diseases as you get older, as does your diet. You can run a 5k in 27 minutes and still be at increased risk for cardiovascular problems because of your fat and cholesterol.
There are also people who are slim but not fit who have increased risks from other problems. You're gonna die anyway, what does it matter what anyone else says about you, dude?
If you wanna get fit AND trim, good. I support that. If you wanna be skinny fat or fat fit, then I don't care.
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I think people need to keep their opinions to themselves, personally.
I agree. You can be a big size and healthy, but also a very small size and healthy. I know some weight nazis but I also know a great deal of fitness nazis. You don't have to train kettle bells to be healthy either. And personally I find a butt that is high but soft to touch much more feminine than a bundle of muscles that is hard to touch. Each to their own. Do what you want to do for you.0 -
I used to think this to a degree.
I was 5'4", 150 lbs, I could do 80 pushups in 2 mins, 120 sit ups in 2 mins and run 2 miles in 14:10 (I was in the military). I was always walking the fine line of being too heavy (by military standards) but was the second most fit in my group (roughly 450 people) only behind a decathlon athlete.
Yes, I was physically fit but I knew, even then, that for ideal health, I needed to weigh less as well. I knew that for every pound of fat I was carrying, that my heart had to work that much harder. I knew about all of the other ailments who's likelihood increased just because I was overweight.
Now I want to be slim and fit, not just one or the other because I know that it's the best recipe I can give my body for the greatest chances for a long, healthy and happy life. For me, it took having my son to make me really, finally want this combination.0 -
This depends on what your end goal is. Are you trying to improve for esthetics? Then trim the excess.
If you don't care about the esthetics, and are otherwise healthy, then just punch anyone in the nose who criticizes you for you excess body fat.0 -
Now the question I have is, would any of you think of saying that to an NFL offensive lineman? I look at how big those guys are around the middle, and they are in phenomenal shape to compete and perform at the level that they do. I think that someone built like myself can be big, and still be in excellent shape.
Your thoughts?
I think it depends on the sport. Most sports seems to have an ideal type or types and people try to achieve it/them within the limits of their genetics. Football players run fast, throw hard, and slam people to the ground. I can see why being big (not fat) would be an advantage. Martial arts athletes seem to require much more agility. I wouldn't assume that the advice is poor or meant to hurt your feelings.0 -
I totally agree. I know many people who are "skinny fat", ie. they look slim and fit on the outside but get them on the track and they run 100ft then stop and are out of breath. I'm also a nurse and see many many patients with high blood pressure and cholesterol who look perfectly healthy and even workout daily, but their resting HR is around 90, BP is sky high or their blood sugar is crazy so their cardiac health is not ideal.
I am like you. Starting out I was 240 lbs (female 5'7") so you would look at me and say "wow she must have knee pain, back pain, diabetes, high cholesterol, high BP, hypothyroidism, PCOS, etc." Nope. I had all of my labs done back in October and all were perfectly normal, I've had two completely normal pregnancies (so no PCOS) and my BP was 120s/70s and HR was around 70. No joint pain either. But I had to do something because I looked horrible and felt disgusted with myself. So I'm halfway to my goal now, at 196, still in the obese category but my resting HR is 52, BP is 106/64 (checked it today), I can run a 5K no problem and I do Insanity daily. From the outside I'm still fat, on the inside some may consider me an athlete (that's so funny to say, lol).
You must be in good shape. There is no way I could do Insanity at 200 lbs, when I was there last time, but I could walk 4-5 miles on the treadmill and pretty far on land too. It is going to take me a lot of consistent effort to get in shape. The longest I have ever been able to run is two laps around my parents land which is probably like 6-7 acres in front where I ran. That was years ago. I have back/hip problems so when I exercise too hard it flares up. I pulled my back doing a squat incorrectly a long time ago, so I could not even move for a week and was in extreme pain and still have issues with it if I do certain exercises.0 -
I am currently very much in the same boat as yourself. Turning 51 in June. 6' 3" and currently at +/- 275 lbs (down from a peak of 346). Started working out seriously again this past year and currently in the best shape that I have been in for more than 2 decades.
Swimming 1-3 miles regularly. Working out with with the UTexas water polo team and keeping up with kids who were not even born yet when I last played competitively in the sport.
That said, I am not kidding myself into thinking that my current 275# frame is a long-term healthy weight for me.
All I have to do is look around.
How many 275# 90 year olds do I see walking around my neck of the woods. Zero.
How many 80 year olds or even 70 year olds do I see at that weight. Pretty close to zero as well.
I have 5 year and 9 year old boys and I plan to be around for them for many decades to come.
Yes, I can say I am in great shape today.
But I intend to have myself at an even better place by the end of this year. Looking to get back into the 200# +/- range and stay there from here on out.
Great work on keeping yourself active but do take a seriousl look around and you might realize that you can be doing even better.
Feel free to send a FR if you care to compare notes help keep us both on track and motivated.
My grandpa is mobile and doesn't take any medications and is over 200 lbs probably 230-240. He has a belly. He is in his 80's I think. Not encouraging that, he has had some health problems with mild forms of colon and bladder cancer. They were caught really early so it just needed to be removed, no chemotherapy or anything was needed. My grandma lived to be 82 and she was probably 15 to 20 lbs overweight. She weighed 150 at 5ft2.
I had an aunt who was thin and always seemed really healthy and she got cancer and died from it, so you never really know how your health is going to be.0 -
Want to be able to run faster, farther, and jump higher? Lose some of the fat.
Compared to slothful "average" folks, an athletic fat person can be relatively "in shape".
Compared to himself at a lighter weight, the fat person is out of shape.0 -
According to a broad study by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, overweight people live longer than people in the BMI range considered healthy, and longer than people in the morbidly obese category. I imagine that researchers will be looking at what factors contributed to these results. In the mean time, if you're exercising, your blood stats are good, and your weight isn't taking a toll on your joints, a few extra pounds are probably nothing to worry about.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/behindtheheadlines/news/2013-01-02-overweight-people-live-longer-study-claims/
There were a lot of issues with the study. They only took BMI into account and did not specify if it was from fat or muscle. The low BMI category included a large amount of people that were thin because they were wasting away from a chronic illness. The healthy people at a higher BMI, were being more closely monitored by doctors and so were receiving better preventative medical care. Those are just a few of the issues.
I think it's too soon to dismiss the study, or to jump to the unconditional conclusion that it's okay to be overweight. The study definitely showed that being morbidly obese was riskier than being thin. It was a meta analysis of many studies, so the specifics of body composition were probably not available. Thin people who were wasting away might counterbalance fat people who were suffering from diabetic complications, and both ends of that spectrum would be receiving medical care. The researchers did control for many of the factors that have been brought up in criticizing the work. A study like this doesn't tell us individually what we should weigh for optimal health. It does provide reasons for more research into things like what an optimal body composition really is.
The study made me concerned about all the times I've gone to a doctor who seemed to think that someone as slim as I am couldn't possibly have hypothyroid disease, asthma, or whatever else I've turned out to have. I think that one of the benefits of a study like this is that it might result in thin people getting a closer look from doctors, because slim really does not automatically mean healthy, fit, or "not suffering from any of the diseases of people who are overweight."
Yeah, those are good points on how further research could be helpful.0 -
It's not a myth. NLF offensive lineman have a higher mortality rate than the general public.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/29/sports/football/29weight.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0Various studies indicate that current N.F.L. players are at a greater risk than the general population for high blood pressure and that retired players are more prone to obesity, sleep apnea and metabolic syndrome: conditions like elevated blood pressure, insulin and cholesterol levels and excessive body fat around the waist that together heighten the risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Retired linemen have been linked to higher mortality rates than the general public.
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