June 2008, Brett

Fit or Fat? The Ongoing Debate…

Is it better to thin but sedentary, or overweight and active? This is the question that has been asked for many years by researchers who have seen the struggles of weight management. Some of the earlier research began in the mid 1960’s, leading into a study released this past month. Want a simple answer? Look to your heart rate, not your waistline.

That may be an over simplification of the issue, but researchers at the Cooper Clinic have looked at this question for about 40 years, and when all of the T’s are crossed and the I’s dotted, the more active you are the longer you will live healthily. Weight and body mass index (BMI) are powerful factors in determining the health of an individual. When you wrap a tape measure around your midsection, the result can tell you how much more likely you are to experience chronic health concerns such as diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. But, even when all of these factors are taken into account, physical activity is still the best determinant of health.

When you are active at least 5 days a week for 30 minutes or more, your body makes changes that allow for better resistance to disease, stronger bones, and even clearer thinking. One study reported that 150 minutes a week of activity was enough to see physical changes in the brain that would limit the risk of memory loss and perhaps even Alzheimer’s disease. These physical changes are so powerful that even if there is not a significant change in weight, the active individual will be stronger, healthier, and yes, even happier than if they had remained sedentary. All of these changes occur outside of weight loss, but add up exponentially when weight loss occurs in addition to physical activity.

There is a concept among health researchers known as compression of morbidity. This is a fancy way of saying that living long is not as good as living long and healthy. Men and women are living much longer than 50 years ago, but the quality of life is not as high as would be liked. When an individual is active throughout life, they may live as long as (more likely longer than) their inactive counterparts. The difference is in how that individual is able to function during the last years of life. Would you rather spend those last years unable to leave your chair, or worse your bed? Or would you rather spend it being active and able to participate in family activities? A simple question, but one that will not be determined in those years, but right now as you make up your mind to go for a walk or watch another television show. Get up and get moving to feel better; if you lose some weight along the way you are just piling up the benefits. It does take time to lose weight, many of us have spent years accumulating the fat that we seem loathe to get rid of; we shouldn’t feel overwhelmed when it doesn’t just fall off after a short walk. Be active every day and let the benefits flow into your life. And don’t forget to have fun along the way. Keep Moving!

If you have questions about this, or any other fitness topic, contact Brett McIff at bmciff@utah.gov, or at (801) 538-6004.

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