The Myth of Healthy Obesity

When discussing health and mortality, many health advocates support the notion of “healthy obesity” or “benign obesity,”  which describes people who are obese but do not have the risk factors that accompany obesity, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.  However, a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine disproves the fact that overweight and obese clients can remain healthy.

The researchers found that even metabolically obese people are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease and death, even without high blood pressure, diabetes, or other risk factors.  It seems that metabolically health obese individuals probably have low levels of some of these risk factors that just worsen over time.

Lifestyle factors, such as exercise and a good diet help control weight and improve overall health over time.  The things people do to become healthier and more fit tend to make them less fat as well, improving their mortality rate.