Do you think someone can be obese and healthy?

TheWretchedFat
TheWretchedFat Posts: 52 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Do you? Please give reasoning as to why or why not
«134

Replies

  • TheGymGypsy
    TheGymGypsy Posts: 1,023 Member
    You can be healthy at 20-25 pounds overweight. Once you start encroaching the territory of 50lbs overweight or more... no. I'm sorry but with kind of excess weight you're obviously not making your health a priority. The extra weight on your joints and organs is enough to classify you as unhealthy at that point even if your blood panel turns out fine.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    in
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    It depends. How, exactly, are you defining "obese?"

    Also, how, exactly, are you defining "healthy?"
  • ADStanfield25
    ADStanfield25 Posts: 9 Member
    To me this question is a slippery slope, but I will bite! No, I do not. On the flip side, I do not think that just because someone is thin, they are healthy either. I say this because although there are plenty of obese people (myself included) who have PERFECT lab work ups (great cholesterol levels, normal triglycerides, etc),but they are still not at an optimal state of homeostasis due to the fact that body fat is stored at a surplus. Not having homeostatis=out of whack=eventual health problems. Sure, my cholesterol is fine now, but if I don't drop this weight, what will it be 5 years from now? There are also other factors to consider outside of diabetes and blood pressure...such as, irritation and inflammation of the joints and muscle tissues. To me, health equals a body doing what it is supposed to do...and storing excess fat (imo) is not one of them!
  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
    I have one of those "Yes, but..." answers.

    Yes, they can be healthy - but that all depends on how you define "healthy". Obesity increases the risk of certain diseases, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Now, "risk" does not mean they have that disease, and there is no guarantee that they will. Essentially, it's the same as an increased risk due to genetics, the only major difference being that you have more control over obesity than you do over your own genetics.

    Theoretically, if one person had an increased risk for a disease due to genetics, and that risk was the same amount as a person who had an increased risk due to obesity, are either of them healthy? Neither of them have the disease, just a higher risk of it.

    In short, "healthy" is up to a lot of interpretation.
  • Followingsea
    Followingsea Posts: 407 Member
    It all really depends on how you define healthy, doesn't it?
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    eventually it catches up
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    It depends. How, exactly, are you defining "obese?"

    Also, how, exactly, are you defining "healthy?"

    ^^^This.

    By definition (BMI), I'm obese.
  • jessicagilb
    jessicagilb Posts: 69 Member
    Only if they're obese for a short time. Because living obese will inevitably turn into morbid illnesses- in my opinion when you're over weight your just a living organism for disease that is already growing inside of you. The question is, how long until it shows its self. Like a bacteria that just needs to get big enough in your body to overcome the body's defense system.
  • somerisagirlsname
    somerisagirlsname Posts: 467 Member
    I have been obese all my life, and by a doctor's definition, I am healthy. I have great cholestorol, great blood pressure, normal sugar levels, etc. The doctors were actually surprised to report how healthy I was. I am also only 22 years old. If I continue to be obese, chances are I am not going to stay anywhere near healthy when I get older. It's all very relative.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    This whole question is a can of worms as it depends what definition you are using as healthy. Does healthy mean no diagnosed iilness? or what? If you work on that definition yes you can be obese and healthy. The thing is no matter waht you are in greater risk for illnesses so the chances are you wont be 'Healthy' long term.
  • greetstrz
    greetstrz Posts: 25 Member
    I think it's also a matter of how and where you store your excess fat when you're overweight/obese (definitions definitions). Lots of fat surrounding your (abdominal) organs bears higher health risks. Storing it all in your butt, on the other hand, brings a long bigger risks of becoming Nicki Minaj ;)
  • Skeebee
    Skeebee Posts: 740 Member
    It depends. How, exactly, are you defining "obese?"

    Also, how, exactly, are you defining "healthy?"

    ^^^This.

    By definition (BMI), I'm obese.

    Same here. Technically obese....resting pulse of 48 (pre-pregnancy...i'm 23 weeks now), good cholesterol, normal to low blood pressure, awesome aerobic threshold and metabolic test results, normal sugar levels. It's totally possible....My husband is technically obese, also, and has raced two half iron mans, dozens of triathlons, marathons, mountain bike races (placing in his age group), all his medical results are normal and healthy. So, totally possible...
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    I think the AMA already decided that if you're obese, you're diseased.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    , NO....if you have any fat at your waist, you are asking for trouble .
  • JanisMay67
    JanisMay67 Posts: 43
    Someone can fall into the BMI obese category, yet look fine. How about football and rugby players? A lot of them would be classes as obese, yet they are super fit, and follow healthy eating plans.

    I think it's definitely possible for someone obese to be healthier than a normal weight person, if they eat healthily, exercise, don't smoke and drink moderately. There are an awful lot of "normal" weight people out there who live on rubbish.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Do you? Please give reasoning as to why or why not

    In the strictest sense of the word, yes. Healthy means free of disease, ailment or injury, and it is possible to be obese and free of disease, ailment or injury.

    But, obesity is a risk factor for many diseases and ailments. It lowers the odds that one will remain healthy, especially if one is obese and doesn't exercise regularly.
  • Fridaklo77
    Fridaklo77 Posts: 124
    It all depends, lab work would need to be gathered, it would all be in the lab results.. I am currently 25lbs overweight... and my vitals are great. But, overall it's best to be lighter.. At least thats what I am striving for.
  • Brad805
    Brad805 Posts: 289 Member
    According to BMI, yes, but if one goes by BF, then I think not.
  • TheWretchedFat
    TheWretchedFat Posts: 52 Member
    I wanted to hear others general opinion on obesity and health, that's kind of why I left the question so open.
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
    Just from my own experience with my family/relatives-no. But, for them they gained weight for several years and then in their 40s that's when they started having all the health issues, mainly type 2 diabetes. I was following the same pattern-weight crept on over several years and was overweight by my young 30s, and surprise surprise, started having glucose numbers in the pre-diabetic range. I was right on track to also developing type 2 diabetes like they all had. Except I decided to say 'screw that' and I lost the weight (first one in my family, except for my sister, to do that for several generations).

    Now my fasting glucose level is around 89. I don't know how big of a role genetics will play a roll, but I'm pretty sure my chances are better now to avoiding some of the health problems my family has had to deal with, than when I was overweight. Because of my family history my doctore has labeled me high risk for type two diabetes. But every single family member of mine that has/had type two diabetes is/was obese. So is it really genetics, or is it because they're all obese? Time will tell!
  • roanokejoe49
    roanokejoe49 Posts: 820 Member
    It depends. How, exactly, are you defining "obese?"

    Also, how, exactly, are you defining "healthy?"

    ^^^This.

    By definition (BMI), I'm obese.

    Same here. Technically obese....resting pulse of 48 (pre-pregnancy...i'm 23 weeks now), good cholesterol, normal to low blood pressure, awesome aerobic threshold and metabolic test results, normal sugar levels. It's totally possible....My husband is technically obese, also, and has raced two half iron mans, dozens of triathlons, marathons, mountain bike races (placing in his age group), all his medical results are normal and healthy. So, totally possible...

    I think you're basing the definition of obesity on weight. Obesity is based on fat percentage. Your hubby is not obese. He may weigh more than is recommended, but those recommendations do not take into account muscle.

    You can be obese (30% body fat or over) and be HEALTHY, but only because of youth and genetics. You cannot be obese and be FIT. It's impossible. The definition of fit means having less than 30% body fat.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    It depends. How, exactly, are you defining "obese?"

    Also, how, exactly, are you defining "healthy?"

    ^^^This. I know overweight people who run marathons and people in the healthy weight range who can barely walk up a few flights of stairs without having to take a break.
  • roanokejoe49
    roanokejoe49 Posts: 820 Member
    I wanted to hear others general opinion on obesity and health, that's kind of why I left the question so open.

    Obesity is a specific measurement of body fat content. Anyone over 30% body fat is obese. Can someone be healthy and be obese? Sure, but they won't be for long. They are usually young and relying on genetics. You CANNOT under any circumstances be obese and be FIT.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    You'll have to define "healthy". For most of human history, if you weren't packing an extra 20-30 pounds, there was a good chance you weren't making it through the winter.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    The definition of fit means having less than 30% body fat.

    Whose definition?
  • FindingMyPerfection
    FindingMyPerfection Posts: 702 Member
    Healthy compared to others in your same category yes, healthy compared to yourself at a healthy bf% no!
  • kateanne27
    kateanne27 Posts: 275 Member
    Thats a question for a doctor, I have a couple of medical conditions that are otherwise well managed, but slows the metabolism conciderably and makes it difficult for me to sustain an elevated heart rate, and have weak connective tissue. According the the BMI I am obese, but have excellent cholesterol, blood pressure, have a healthy diet, am fairly active. In fact, other than painful knees sometimes, which is as much a result of poor connective tissue as it is the weight I carry, which I am focusing on strength training to counteract, and not being able to sustain longer periods of intense activity, which wouldn't be any better no matter my weight, I have no weight related health problems or health risks for heart disease, diabetes, etc. My doctor has pronounced me healthy.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,988 Member
    Do you? Please give reasoning as to why or why not
    Probably not. The frame of the body isn't designed to support that kind of mass which is why ALL obese people have joint and pain issues. Not to mention if the weight is "pushed" against the internal organs, it's going to affect the efficiency of how they work.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • carrieous
    carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
    no
    studies say so

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