'Fat And Fit' Is A Myth: Here's Why

Is it possible to be healthy and overweight-particularly when it comes to physical fitness?

New findings published in the Journal of Epidemiology address the notion of "fat but fit." Unfortunately, for individuals who are overweight or obese but still regularly active, health officials say that too much weight cancels out the majority of benefits that exercise provides.

Researchers from Umeå University, Sweden followed over 1.3 million men with a mean age of 18 for close to 30 years-examining the link between level of aerobic fitness in obese patients versus those of normal weight. They assessed aerobic fitness and fatigue by having the men ride an exercise bike until they were too tired to continue.

The men in the top 20 percent of aerobic fitness had a 48 percent lower risk of death from any cause during the study period compared with those in the bottom 20 percent, the investigators found, according to Health Day. Furthermore, aerobic fitness was linked to a reduced risk for death in both normal and overweight men. However, the benefits from fitness were lower in obese men, researchers found, including those with the highest levels of physical fitness.

In other words, obese individuals who are fit are still at risk for numerous health issues.

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