Weight Matters

Does body weight matter, even if you are fit? This question is the subject of ongoing debate among health experts. But a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology (2002; 156: 832-841) says weight does indeed matter, even if you exercise on a regular basis. While exercise does increase health in overweight people, it doesn't cancel out the health risks associated with increased body fat. The study found that normal-weight, fit people lived the longest. Those who were fit but overweight had an increased risk of death by 32 percent for women and 25 percent for men. Those who were unfit and slender increased their risk by 30 percent for women and 44 percent for men. The last group, unfit and overweight, had the greatest increased risk of death-57 percent for women and 49 percent for men. In a nutshell? You need to be both slim and fit to expect to live to your maximum life expectancy.