Can Obese People be Considered Healthy?

Some people believe that it is possible to be obese and fit, but a recent study confirmed that this can never be the case.

Grace Newman, 48, has been exercising rigorously at the gym after she found out that she already weighs 178 pounds with her height of just five feet two inches. "I have to lose weight because every day going up and down the stairs, you're just out of breath." Previous studies however suggest being overweight or obese may be a benign condition if a person is not suffering from high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes. Now, a new study found that being obese or overweight and healthy at the same time is impossible.

"Obesity, even without associated risk factors is not a benign condition," said Dr. Robert Rosenson of the Mount Sinai Hospital. The Canadian researchers involved in the study analyzed studies published with the past 60 years and they found out that death rates, heart attacks and stroke were higher among people who were classified as obese. "Being obese, even in the absence of measurable risk factors, is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. So there is something we're not able to measure, perhaps at the sub cellular level or genetic level that is contributing to a higher risk."

As of late, approximately 155 million adults in the United States are classified as obese or overweight that is why doctors suggest it is critical to eat right and exercise regularly to maintain a healthier weight range. "A lot of people start programs and fall off, simply because they try to make too many changes all at once," said personal trainer Eli Ingram. The researchers also stressed that there are also no guarantees that a person who has normal weight may automatically be considered healthy.