If you’ve been blessed with genes that help you look good in your jeans, lucky you.
But you haven’t escaped the need to exercise.
Sure, being able to eat all you want without getting fat might seem like a blessing. Unlimited ice cream, limited time on the treadmill – what could sound better? But studies clearly have shown that weight is not the best measurement of health. And if you’re physically inactive you aren’t doing yourself any favors, no matter what size you are.
Case in point: Recent research found that about one in four slim people had two cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar levels that are typically associated with obesity. Some of the obese people in the study, in fact, were in much better metabolic health than some who were considered to have “healthy” weights.
“We found that 23.5 percent of normal-weight adult Americans — or about 16.3 million people — are metabolically abnormal when it comes to heart-disease risk,” said Rachel Wildman, the study’s lead author, in a written statement.
I can’t say it enough: Skinny people need to exercise, too.
That’s why earlier this summer I blogged about research suggesting that being thin and unfit could set you up for diabetes as well as heart disease. And how the size of your waist is far more important than the number on the scale. If you carry a genetic predisposition towards any number of a variety of health conditions, exercise is often a key way to lower your risks.
Weight-bearing exercise, such as jogging and jumping rope, is also critical for strengthening and maintaining your bones and reducing your risk of fractures later in life. It boosts HDL or “good” cholesterol. It lowers blood pressure. It even helps breast cancer patients live longer.
As a practicing physician for 30 years, I always preferred to prescribe exercise rather than medication. Missing exercise means your body is just plain missing out.
gigi Dec 2, 2008
Good point. And don’t forget the role of diet--what you eat is important, not just how many calories.