A healthy heart is one of the most important ways to live a long life. On the contrary, poor heart health can lead to tons of health risks, making heart disease the leading cause of death in many countries. It is commonly known that eating right and staying physically active are some of the best practices to keep your heart strong and live a long life. However, a new study published in the journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) says that bodyweight is a different story. This is contrary to other studies saying that the cardiovascular health of people who are physically active regardless of their weight can be the same and that physical activity and fitness must be prioritized more than weight loss.
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How can abnormal bodyweight alone affect your health?
What is the difference between staying physically active and weight loss?
What it takes to be physically active:
- A 150-minute moderate or a 75-minute vigorous weekly aerobic activity
- Several times of going up or down the stairs, a few minutes of brisk walking, and other similar activities.
What it takes to lose weight:
- Following a specific diet to help burn fats
- A regular workout or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts
- Tons of sweat
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The study concluded that people who are in normal weight, overweight, and obese all reduced their chances of having the risk factors of heart disease after an increase in physical activity level. However, compared to an inactive person who is having a normal weight, an overweight individual is still twice more likely to have high cholesterol and four times as likely to have high blood pressure even if he/she is active.
The level of activity that is effective for those who have normal weight is not as effective for those who are obese and therefore staying active is extremely different compared to the effect of losing weight. Moreover, losing only 10-15 pounds immediately lower blood sugar, lower blood pressure, and improve cholesterol level thus, losing more will do a greater difference.
Source:
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/21/health/fat-but-fit-study-scli-intl-wellness/index.html
https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/safe-diet-tips-for-diabetes#:~:text=One%20study%20found%20that%20people,cholesterol%20(the%20good%20kind).
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mens-health/getting-to-the-heart-of-the-fat-issue
https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/fight-fat-to-help-your-heart