“Fat but Fit”? Your heart disagrees.

“Overweight but healthy” and “fat but fit” – such sayings have been floating around the internet in an era of body positivity. But are they really true?

While previous studies have suggested that leading an active lifestyle can alleviate the effects of being overweight on heart health, new research says otherwise.

Researchers from the European Society of Cardiology found that irrespective of the level of physical activity, overweight and obese participants were at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease; debunking the notion that one can be “fat but fit”. Bottom line – exercise does not compensate for the negative effects of being overweight.

So the next time someone tells you that it’s possible to be overweight but healthy, think again.

 

Read more here.