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.