Can you be fat and fit at the same time? An expert steps in
The idea of losing weight is shrouded in myth. These range from the idea that dieting is the only way to lose weight to the idea that weight loss and fat loss are the same thing. These myths about weight loss make it difficult for us to understand what it really is! Related to this, there is a concept that people hold true – that you can be fat and fit at the same time! Are you wondering if it’s true? Well, let’s find out!
Can you be both fit and fat?
You might conclude that someone is unhealthy if they are overweight. But it is possible that you are both overweight and fit The most important thing is that you understand what “fit” and “overweight” mean for your health.
To understand this in detail, Health Shots turned to Dr. Asha Hiremath, Consultant – Obstetrician, Gynecologist and Laparoscopy, Motherhood Hospitals, Indiranagar, Bengaluru.
She says: “You can be fit and overweight at the same time. To judge this, you need to understand the role of body mass index (BMI).
Importance of body mass index to your health
Body mass index is essentially the result of dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by their height in meters (or feet) squared. according to dr Hiremath determines this estimate of fat mass, which depends on weight and height, whether you have a healthy body or not.
As a result, people with a BMI less than 25 are considered normal and healthy. Overweight individuals are those with a BMI of 25 to 30, while obese individuals are those with a BMI of 30 or more, putting them at risk for a range of health problems. Here is how to calculate your bmi After the calculation you will know if you are overweight or not.
The question is, are you healthy if you are overweight?
The problem with this is that a person’s health cannot be fully judged by their BMI. This is for two reasons:
- Lean muscle mass and gender (women have more fat than men) are not taken into account in the method.
- The amount of lean tissue (muscles, bones and organs) and fat you possess is also not taken into account, nor is your body composition, which measures how much fat you have in relation to other parts of the body.
This means that we cannot use BMI alone to paint a healthy or unhealthy picture of an individual as individuals are different. Two people with the same BMI can have completely different physical characteristics.
You can be fat and fit with this condition!
According to the 1998 National Institutes of Health Clinical Guidelines for the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults study, you can be overweight and fit at the same time.
The study notes that obese individuals can be considered healthy if they have a waist measurement of less than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women and do not have two or more of the following conditions:
- high blood pressure
- high blood sugar
- high cholesterol
The guidelines go on to explain that an overweight person should not gain extra weight. Instead, he/she should try to reduce the weight to avoid the risk.
The recommendations go on to say that an overweight person should lose weight rather than gain weight to reduce the risk.
Can being overweight make it harder to get fit?
On your fitness journey, being overweight becomes a challenge, especially when it comes to high-intensity cardiovascular exercise and training. However, it doesn’t stop anyone from improving their fitness and health. Obesity can be tackled through improved nutrition and an exercise routine tailored to individual body weight. This can then lead to better fitness gains no matter what weight a person starts out at. Long-term results will come if you stay consistent, says Dr. Hiremath.
