Science has already shown that both obesity and physical inactivity are harmful to cardiovascular health and healthy aging. However, recent research has compared what may be more efficient for longevity and to avoid disease: cardiorespiratory fitness, ie fitness, or losing weight.
According to the studypublished in November last year at the British Journal of Sports Medicine, fitness is more important to avoid both cardiovascular diseases and mortality from all causes than body mass index (BMI).
At work, the researchers found that individuals in shape, with different BMIs, had similar risks of death by all causes or cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, those who were out of shape, that is, were sedentary, had risks two to three times higher of mortality and heart disease, regardless of IMC, compared to people in shape and normal BMI.
In addition, the study also found that obese people who maintained a level of physical activity and fitness had a significantly lower risk of death compared to individuals with normal BMI.
“Physical fitness, it seems, is much more important than body fat when it comes to risk of mortality,” says Siddhartha Angadi, an associate professor of exercise physiology at the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development and a corresponding author of the study in a statement. “Our study found that obese individuals were risk of death similar to that of normal -weight individuals and almost half the risk of normal -weight individuals.”
“Exercise is more than just a way to burn calories. It is an excellent ‘remedy’ to optimize overall health and can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and death by all causes in people of all sizes,” he adds.
How was the study done?
For the study, the researchers reviewed 20 works with a total sample of 398,716 adults from various countries. About a third of participants were women, an increase of almost three times compared to previous studies.
In most studies, individuals were classified as fit if their effort test score placed them above the 20th percentile within their age group.
“I believe this study will help strengthen the growing body of literature on the debate ‘Fitness vs. Fat,” says Nathan Weeldryer, a doctoral student in grape kinesiology and co -author of the study. “As a society, we tend to equate body weight or body fat to health. Our study, which has the largest and most representative global sample so far, along with a more rigorous statistical analysis compared to previous research, aims to change the perspectives on the relationship between fitness and body fat,” he adds.
Physical activity reduces risks associated with obesity, but weight loss is still important
According to Marcio Mancini, director of the Pharmacological Treatment Department of the Brazilian Association for the Study of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome (ABESO), physical activity brings a number of health benefits, reduces subclinical inflammation of obesity and can mitigate the risk that the disease brings to health. However, he reiterates that it is essential to treat the disease.
“It is important to reduce the BMI, because it is more difficult to achieve good cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with very high BMI,” warns Mancini, who was not involved in the study.
Even obesity treatment should be done accompanied by lifestyle changes, including physical activity and healthy eating.
One in three Brazilians lives with obesity, shows global report
Was this content originally published in being fit or losing weight? See what is best at longevity on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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