The headline is pretty harsh, huh? Possibly you have been caught sitting while reading this, and you are wondering about the lifestyle you lead. It is not surprising that there is more and more research that supports that physical exercise is one of the healthiest tools to fight diseases and combat cellular aging. A study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, shows that not doing physical exercise is just as harmful as being obese.
Should we take weight or physical activity into account?
The research was conducted in the Netherlands, and for 15 years they were studying the height, weight, exercise habits, BMI, and rate of heart disease and stroke of 5.344 adults in Rotterdam. All participants were divided into three weight categories: normal weight, overweight, or obese. Not surprisingly, they found that those who were overweight or obese were more associated with heart disease and stroke.
What did surprise the researchers was that overweight or obese people who exercised regularly had similar rates of heart disease as normal-weight volunteers.
That is to say, it does not "import" specifically how many kilos you weigh; rather the amount of exercise you do matters. However, the researchers noted that even the low-level athletes had gotten at least two hours of moderate exercise a day. For most of us that's a lot of exercise; In addition, many of the participants commented that they walked or biked to work or to run errands. Therefore, it is difficult to draw clear conclusions outside of this type of volunteer.
Understandably, obesity remains a risk factor for heart disease, but research suggests that the benefits of exercise may combat the dangers of obesity. In addition, it is clear that it is never too late to start changing lifestyle habits and reap benefits.