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Can One Really Be Fat But Fit? This Study Says No

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Tara Khandelwal
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Researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge have found that even if an overweight person has healthy blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, being overweight still carries a higher risk of coronary heart disease. Even if you are healthy, but overweight, your risk of coronary heart disease is 26 per cent more than someone of an average weight.

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If you our obese, then you have 28 per cent more chance of developing coronary disease, according to the study which has been published in the European Heart Journal.

The study’s lead author, Dr Camille Lassie, says, “Our findings suggest that if a patient is overweight or obese, all efforts should be made to help them get back to a healthy weight, regardless of other factors.”

"Overall, our findings challenge the concept of the 'healthy obese'. The research shows that those overweight individuals who appear to be otherwise healthy are still at increased risk of heart disease,” she says.

Fitness expert and author Tanuja Sodhi says that 'fat is unfit' is too much of a blanket statement. She tells SheThePeople.TV that if someone is overweight, that does not mean that person is unhealthy. Some people have genetic attributes that cause them to put on weight, and make it difficult for them to lose weight. They can be exercising reasonably well, and can be reasonably healthy, she says.

You can also be thin, but not fit, she says. Someone, who is very thin, may be malnourished or be hyper thyroid. They may not exercise regularly or eat well. 

Also, if you are slightly obese, you could have a lot of bone mass, or a broader structure, and that has to be catered to, she says.

The findings of the study doesn't mean that we should blame individuals. Rather, we should try and encourage healthy living at all levels.

Also Read: Health & beauty can’t be measured in kilograms! Says Garima Gupta

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