Could someone be healthy even if overweight

[Anonymous]

if they don't drink soda, alcohol and never eat any fast food or meals out aside from sushi, mostly just eat homecooked meals?

[Anonymous]

Yes. Being slightly overweight is better/healthier as you age.

[Anonymous]

Of course.

[Anonymous]

Overweight yes

Obese probably not

Overweight is actually healthier in many ways than the low end of normal.

[Anonymous]

I’m 5’4 and hover between 165-170.

My cholesterol is good, triglycerides normal, low blood pressure, good immune system, lots of energy.

So in my case—yes!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Being slightly overweight is better/healthier as you age.

BS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Being slightly overweight is better/healthier as you age.

I hear that a lot, but isn't it based off one study which wasn't repeated? Lower weight and even fasting is healthier, according to repeated studies.

[Anonymous]

Health is subjective and is more of a social construct than something real.

Could the person you describe currently have excellent mobility, cardiovascular health, strong bones and pain-free joints, and all health markers on their labs within ideal parameters? Definitely. Could they remain that way for a long time, even decades? Yes.

That doesn't mean their extra weight doesn't add strain and inflammation on body systems and won't have a cumulative effect on their future well-being and longevity.

It also doesn't mean they're necessarily going to die of overweight/obesity related conditions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Being slightly overweight is better/healthier as you age.

I hear that a lot, but isn't it based off one study which wasn't repeated? Lower weight and even fasting is healthier, according to repeated studies.

Both of the groups of studies you refer to suffer from some faults- not frequently repeated and not conducted in environments that replicate real human life (most of the underweight/fasting studies were done on mice.)
The other issue is what you mean by "healthier." To my recollection, some of the underweight studies showed longer life span but more likely to have health issues and disease in that life span.

Bottom line, as with most things....stay within the mid-range. Don't be obese and don't be underweight. Everything in the middle is the same level of "healthy" if you are judging only on BMI/weight.

[Anonymous]

Define overweight? I mean - look at that female rugby player. She is technically "overweight" by BMI but she's 100% more in shape than most people on the planet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Being slightly overweight is better/healthier as you age.

I hear that a lot, but isn't it based off one study which wasn't repeated? Lower weight and even fasting is healthier, according to repeated studies.

Both of the groups of studies you refer to suffer from some faults- not frequently repeated and not conducted in environments that replicate real human life (most of the underweight/fasting studies were done on mice.)
The other issue is what you mean by "healthier." To my recollection, some of the underweight studies showed longer life span but more likely to have health issues and disease in that life span.

Bottom line, as with most things....stay within the mid-range. Don't be obese and don't be underweight. Everything in the middle is the same level of "healthy" if you are judging only on BMI/weight.

Thanks for elaborating. I stay within the "normal" range of bmi, but notice more back pain when closer to the high end. 21-22 bmi seems to be best for me. Avoiding pain is a huge motivator for exercising and maintaining a healthy weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Define overweight? I mean - look at that female rugby player. She is technically "overweight" by BMI but she's 100% more in shape than most people on the planet.

This. Is the person overweight for their particular genetic package of bone structure, build, etc.? We're a family of tall, broad-shouldered, heavy-frame women. We're all "overweight" but DD who is very active, lifts weights, etc is certainly healthier than I am with sporadic exercise and more pounds than I'd like. Even if I was perfectly disciplined in eating and exercise I'd still be overweight by the BMI metric unless I was willing to starve myself down to a completely unreasonable weight for my body.

Even with more pounds than I'd like, my blood pressure, heart rate, blood work are all great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Define overweight? I mean - look at that female rugby player. She is technically "overweight" by BMI but she's 100% more in shape than most people on the planet.

You know what one means when they say overweight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m 5’4 and hover between 165-170.

My cholesterol is good, triglycerides normal, low blood pressure, good immune system, lots of energy.

So in my case—yes!

Just curious, how old are you? As you age, it all catches up to you.

[Anonymous]

Yes, me! I have way better numbers than my skinny but pre-diabetic younger sister and I weigh 50lbs more than her.