It has become a cultural norm to point the finger at obesity as a cause of disease. Research is finally being noticed, however, that challenges this belief.

A New York Times article published earlier this month was titled “In ‘Obesity Paradox,’ Thinner May Mean Sicker.” The article discusses the fact that those who are overweight and have been diagnosed with heart failure, heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, high blood pressure and diabetes all have a lower chance of dying from their disease than their lower-weight counterparts.

The article refers to a study in 2007 of 11,000 Canadians that concluded that “those who were overweight had the lowest chance of dying from any cause.” Experts believe that the factor not being looked at is physical activity: An “overweight” or “obese” person can be just as fit as his or her “normal-weight” counterpart.

In Glenn Gaesser’s book “Big Fat Lies: The Truth About Your Weight and Your Health,” Steven Blair, the director of research at the Cooper Institute for Aerobic Research in Dallas, states, “It has become abundantly clear to me that in terms of health and longevity, your fitness level is far more important than your weight. If the height/weight charts say you are five pounds too heavy or even 50 or more pounds too heavy, it is of little consequence health wise — as long as you are physically fit.”

Most studies looking at body weight in relation to disease, including the massive Framingham Heart Study, which has tracked the lifestyle habits of thousands of people since the 1940s, do not take physical fitness into account. The weight loss industry, of course, benefits from this oversight by enjoying a $40 billion-a-year paycheck, even though about 98 percent of diets fail.

Amy Dye is a resident of Portland

 

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