If you’ve started running as a means to improve your health, you’re certainly not the only one doing so.
studies show
That wanting to achieve or maintain good health is a main reason why many people engage in sports activities. However, what does “achieving good health” really entail?
research published in the
British Medical Journal of Sport & Exercise Medicine
states that fitness level, rather than body weight, is the most accurate indicator of long-term health.
The research examined the connection between cardiovascular fitness, body mass index, and the likelihood of early death, revealing that poor physical conditioning raises the risk of premature mortality, irrespective of weight.
Background
Since 1980, the incidence of obesity has increased.
has increased twofold in over 70 nations globally
Obesity is linked to various chronic conditions along with an increased risk of death from heart-related issues. Because of this, doctors have consistently advised their heavier patients to shed pounds so as to decrease these risks and possibly extend their lifespans.
Even with these initiatives, the obesity rates keep increasing.
World Health Organization reports
That over 43% of adults globally are overweight, and 16% are obese. In the meantime,
some studies
I have discovered that losing weight doesn’t reliably decrease the risk of death, whereas improving cardiorespiratory fitness does.
Numerous research findings indicate an inverse relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular diseases as well as the risk of dying from them — this means that increased exercise correlates with reduced incidence of illness and lower fatality rates. Exercise
is also known
To safeguard oneself from different long-term diseases and some forms of cancer. Even small levels of physical activity can yield significant benefits.
Based on this data, researchers questioned if the beneficial impacts of being physically fit could also apply to individuals who were overweight.
Thin vs. fit study
Dr. Nathan Weeldreyer from the University of Virginia
this systematic review
In this study, data from around 20 smaller research projects were combined to analyze information from nearly 400,000 participants. The aim was to determine whether fitness levels or having a normal body weight played a more crucial role in achieving better health outcomes.
The participants were categorized into “fit” or “unfit,” followed by additional subdivision based on their Body Mass Index (BMI), which classified them as having a healthy weight, being overweight, or being obese.
The findings were clear-cut. Overweight-fit and obese-fit people showed no substantial rise in the risk of overall death rates when contrasted with normal-weight fit individuals. Nevertheless, those who were unfit experienced a higher risk of overall death rates irrespective of their body weight status compared to normal-weight fit persons.
Regarding the risk of dying from heart diseases, fitness provided protection for people irrespective of their body weight. There were only slight variations in death rates among those who were considered normal-weight, overweight, and obese when they maintained good physical condition. However, lacking this fitness increased the chances of premature death by about double for all causes and tripled the likelihood of succumbing to heart-related issues, without much difference based on one’s weight category.
Notably, in the majority of these studies, individuals were deemed “fit” simply by surpassing the 20th percentile of fitness benchmarks. This indicates that considerable decreases in mortality risk might be achieved with just modest fitness levels, irrespective of their body mass index (BMI).
What it means
It’s crucial to understand that the researchers behind this study, along with others similar to it, stress that their conclusions shouldn’t be taken to imply that individuals dealing with excess weight shouldn’t aim for losing pounds to enhance their well-being. Carrying extra weight continues to correlate strongly with numerous significant long-term health issues, making attaining fitness considerably tougher compared to what it would be for those whose weights fall within a healthier range.
The implication of this research is that individuals ought to prioritize enhancing their level of physical fitness over aiming for weight loss. Such an approach might lead to weight reduction, yet regardless of whether it does or doesn’t happen, better cardiovascular fitness will offer crucial and enduring advantages to both bodily and psychological well-being.
Putting it all together:
- Concentrate on enhancing your overall fitness levels, and don’t make your main objective losing weight.
-
Tracking calories can be stressful and
is often not helpful
Making small adjustments in your diet and eating habits can initiate changes in your body composition and weight, but these modifications should complement your exercise routine. -
If you have a scale, try not to succumb to the temptation of weighing yourself every day or giving too much importance to the number. Rather, rely on your fitness tracker’s computed VO2 max for insights into your health progress.
2
Max serves as a superior indicator of your well-being. - Measurements of body fat percentage from scales tend to be highly inaccurate and shouldn’t be used as a measure of health. Instead, concentrate on improving your fitness, with everything else falling into place subsequently.
