No such thing as 'fat but fit'

dowie · 17 May 2017 at 12:33

This ought to be common sense but seemingly some movements like 'health at every size' try to promote the myth that you can still be fat and healthy.... now another study throws that already dubious claim into doubt:

https://www.theguardian.com/society...alth-no-such-thing-as-fat-but-fit-major-study

People who are obese run an increased risk of heart failure and stroke even if they appear healthy, without the obvious warning signs such as high blood pressure or diabetes, according to a major new study.

The findings, presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Porto, Portugal, may be the final death knell for the claim that it is possible to be obese but still metabolically healthy – or “fat but fit” – say scientists.

antijoke · 17 May 2017 at 12:34

Of course there isn't, but we can't go upsetting the fatties these days and make them comfort eat.

Ayahuasca · 17 May 2017 at 12:38

Vanquish-Storm · 17 May 2017 at 12:40

Obese on what scale though? Going by BMI you can be classed as "obese" but have very low fat %

xdcx · 17 May 2017 at 12:41

Article is wrong.
https://twitter.com/DeniseBayliss/status/864768874788605952

Wiggins is now fat but would still demolish 99% of people in this country on a bike. Fit fatty.

dowie · 17 May 2017 at 12:42

Vanquish-Storm said:
Obese on what scale though? Going by BMI you can be classed as "obese" but have very low fat %

you can... as we know there are exceptions - notably, from past occasions where BMI have been brought up, it turns out that most obese members on this computer form are actually all elite athletes and bodybuilders

cheesyboy · 17 May 2017 at 12:43

I think the idea of those 'fat but fit' campaigns is that, regardless of one's bloat, being fit is still better than not.

I don't see a lot of 'myth'

Vanquish-Storm · 17 May 2017 at 12:43

dowie said:
you can... as we know there are exceptions - notably, from past occasions where BMI have been brought up, it turns out that most obese members on this computer form are actually all elite athletes and bodybuilders

The exception rather than the rule yes.... but I think I am an athlete

ttaskmaster · 17 May 2017 at 12:46

Vanquish-Storm said:
Obese on what scale though? Going by BMI you can be classed as "obese" but have very low fat %

The article does mention that athletes with high muscle density can still have the same BMI as an obese person...

While not 'obese but fit', I'd argue you can be 'fat but fit' - Plenty of forces guys with pot bellies, who can still run distances in full kit that'd have even professional athletes retching their guts up... or as the PTI always said, "There's fit... and then there's Army fit".

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 17 May 2017 at 12:51

I think a lot of it boils down to exactly what definition of fit you are using.

If you have ever seen some of the biggest loser programs you will see how some people that are still seriously overweight can end up like sports people, same sort of recovery rate stamina etc, just carrying more weight.
They in reality are probably fitter if you use the definition of being able to run a distance than 95% of the general population.

I think the problem is that they take someone like a pro rugby player, or even one of these biggest loser people who have pretty much done nothing but exercise for 2 months, go look see they can run/jump etc, and then extrapolate that to some fatty who does no physical exercise bar standing in the que in the local burger place.

Yes those who are overweight will have medical conditions, but its not like being thin immediately means you have no possibility of any illness, its often just increased by being overweight.
being overweight and also having a high level of fitness is pretty seriously rare though in reality, because to exercise hard enough to have high fitness your by default almost certain to carry on losing weight and end up not significantly overweight.

Being overweight stresses parts of the body, actually exercising can help to reduce the impact of that, but unless you in the top few % of genuine fit people then being overweight will clearly stress the body more and more and therefore increase the wear over time.

theone8181 · 17 May 2017 at 13:10

I cant see any decent doctor quoting bmi as its a ******** measurement. As stated above anyone with muscle gets classed as obese (rugby players for example). Its a joke of a measurement.

Judgeneo · 17 May 2017 at 13:17

I'm glad that "fat but fit" is finally being challenged rigorously, its been used as part of the argument for universal body positivity for quite some time now, and I consider it quite a dangerous position.

Vonhelmet · 17 May 2017 at 13:22

Bmi is nonsense. My bmi says I'm overweight... yeah, with my 30" waist. Gtfo. Blame my humongous cycling thighs and broad shoulders.

Fit but fat is a dubious concept, but better that than unfit and fat and inactive.

MikeTheNative · 17 May 2017 at 13:47

BMI is fine as a very general measurement unless you carrying a decent amount of muscle.

Jamesyboyjim · 17 May 2017 at 13:49

Carrying unnecessary weight puts extra strain on your body so how anyone can say "I'm fat but healthy" is beyond me. I think you can be overweight and 'fit' in the sense that you might be a good runner or cyclist but that doesn't mean you are healthy. I've always been overweight, but at one point became really good at cross country. That didn't mean I was healthy.

balky12 · 17 May 2017 at 13:58

Technically I am obese. 27, 5ft 11, 98kg. Just tips me over the 30 BMI mark.

34/36 inch waist, 42/44 inch chest.

I box, run 5/10km in fairly respectable times. Couple times a year to Tough Mudders, etc.

I'm by no means a fitness freak and have an office job... eat fairly healthy too.

I tend to take no notice of these findings.... but then again... it might be because I'm fat

Raz · 17 May 2017 at 14:08

Fat but fit = fat but happy.

It's really a way of some overweight people saying that they're fat but generally happy and feeling healthy.

Of course it's also an excuse for some to carry on as they are (e.g. being obese) and pretending they're ok - obviously this can be extremely harmful since being overweight may be a result of depression or an eating disorder.

I had a friend who was around 21 stone at around 5ft 8 but played sports regularly and was actually pretty good at football. He's healthy in that everything is working as it should...

I've always been overweight but have taken steps to reduce body fat as I don't think it's healthy but I've never had any issues.

diamount · 17 May 2017 at 14:08

You're using the wrong word, fat and healthy is an oxymoron not fat and fit. Plenty of fat people who are athletic, sumos, strongmen all are in excess of 200 pounds. But they still don't live very long.

Terminal_Boy · 17 May 2017 at 14:11

Vanquish-Storm said:
Obese on what scale though? Going by BMI you can be classed as "obese" but have very low fat %

Exactly. Professional rugby players and infantry soldiers are often classed as obese going by their BMI scores.

Greebo · 17 May 2017 at 14:26

Vanquish-Storm said:
Obese on what scale though? Going by BMI you can be classed as "obese" but have very low fat %

This. The whole study was based on BMI classification for obese which doesnt take much and a lot of people who train on weights are classified as obese in this study.