I recall reading that where the fat is stored is important. The study did not mention whether the apples or pears were healthier. BMI alone will not indicate where the fat is stored. Visceral fat is much more dangerous and if the researcher did not consider this then there was a paradox for them. Exercise does not determine where fat is stored. Eating Wheat and grains as promoted by food guides will increase belly size. Some people may get a false sense of security from this study. Food choices alone determine how much and where fat is stored.

I would really like to know what all the studies consider as "obese". As someone who as always been overweight yet extremely physically active and successful in many different sports - I have summed it up to genetics. I have an inherited thryoid problem which contributes to my weight but all in all I am extremely healthy and fit yet have recently been informed that according to my BMI I am obese. Lets stop making judgements about every single person that doesn't look like a supermodel and live our lives as individuals... that being said, the people that have totally lost themselves in their weight struggle, best of luck.

Looking at the picture of the two gals; Which one would I go out with? Not the fat one and that is for sure. If some one wants to, more power to him.

It's about time someone finally confirmed what I have been saying for years. I am not skinny approx 200 lbs but I am healthier and in better shape than lots of slim ppl I know. I don't smoke and I exercise (kick boxing, weights, calasthynics) regularly. I dont have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, my oxygen levels are at 99%, pulse right on target for my age- 44 and not a single wrinkle on my face. Not all overweight ppl are unhealthy and I am living proof.

Life is too damn short.
Don't listen to studies, popular opinion, or whatever...
Just live your life in the moment because who knows what can happen in the next second.
So crack open the Joe Louis and enjoy!
You're beautiful just the way you are!

If you want to look like fat pigs, go ahead. It's your funeral.

Not all thin people are healthy, in fact skinny is not attractive and unhealthy. But if you are obese you might be a ticking bomb to so many problems and things that are not even health related. If possible somewhere in the middle is the best . Than again it depends on your DNA family history and metabolism

I dont get why people care soooo much about what other people look like ???? if you want to be healthy go for it no one is stopping you.if you don"t like the way people look then dont look at them. i think this planet is full of immature , rude , selfish people and it needs to stop really people look in the mirror and ask yourself why u think the way you do and ask yourself if you can change that about yourself!!! there is fun , love , and laughter to be had by all people regardless of size race color ect,,,,,,, i want to have children one day is this the world we want to raise them in?????? i love my bf he is 6,5 has a lil belly although he is very fit and sexy........ he has a regular job like any other joe trying to make it in the world,,,,,and he is the best thing since sliced bread ALL OF US NEED TO GROOOOOWWWWW UPPPPP PLZZZZZZ pretty please!!!!

The problem is that docs use the BMI scale to classify people as being overweight or obese. This only accounts for weight and height, not body composition. A person with considerable muscle mass who is in good shape but is relatively short may be classified as overweight or obese, even though they may not have a lot of adipose tissue. Obviously people who are active have a lower risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It's not rocket surgery!

I am 74 yrs young, 5ft. 4in, 200 lbs. Prob. considered obese. I golf, dance, volunteer, clean my own house, swim, never stop from morn. till night. sleep like a log, no diabetes, no respitory problems, no cholesterol problems no blood pressure problems. No hip issues, One bum knee that doesn't keep me from doing anything Enjoy almost every minute of my life. Tell me I'm not healthy!!!

I agree, being fat does automatically mean being unhealthy. Just as being thin does not automatically mean you ARE healthy! The key is lifestyle - healthy balanced diet, activity, fresh air, sleep, little stress - all of these factors contribute to being healthy!

Of course there are exceptions to the norm...Some people can smoke till 100 years old and never have a problem...but it's about playing the odds, and I wouldn't be willing to say if I haven't had a problem yet, that I never will...If you are eating properly and exercising regularly, your body will naturally go to the healthiest weight that it thinks it should be at..by eating properly I don't mean fruits and veggies, I mean eating the right amount of calories that your metabolism allows..so if your metabolism is very slow, and you always gain weight, eat the amount of food and low calorie foods to not gain...and if you do gain, it will mostly be lean muscle rather than pure fat.

Awhile back I heard a girl say her personal trainer called her skinny fat, because she had no muscle tone and was lacking in all areas of physical fitness. I think that says a lot - there are a lot of skinny people in this world that are in really poor health - not just "overweight" people. Therefore a person's physical appearance isn't necessarily indicative of their "real health". The findings of this study prove again that lifestyle and genetics need to be assessed in conjunction with physical appearance. If you are solely judging someone on their appearance then you are just scratching the surface after all.

Another article on obesity absolving one of having to assume personal responsibility for one's health. Fat? No problem! As it turns out, you can eat that bucket of ice cream AND still be a supremely healthy person (it's all in your genes after all, so you are not really at fault for being hideously overweight).

If your fat your fat, you have a hard time moving around, because of your girth, he said "Sub set" so is that just a small minority? Stop trying to make fat people feel good, most are fat because they are naturally lazy.

I am considered obese. Dieting increased my stress level. Being happier and active is my key to good health. I do not have any of the problems (so called related to being obese) I am 72 years old. Have fun people. Ignore all these people making money on their studies.

I'm one of those people too. I've had 3 kids and lost weight with each pregnancy and never put back on, but still considered obese by BMI. NO health issues at all. Blood pressure didn't even increase while preggers. No diabetes, cholesterol is fine ....

I am guessing that this study was financed by Monsato

This is not new. I recall years ago seeing a study that compared mortality to fitness levels rather than strictly weight. The results showed that for a given fitness level thicker (even substantially obese) people actually fared better than thinner people. The key is fitness.

I highly doubt this. Where is the link to this supposed article? Who wrote it? Sorry, but I'm not gonna take the word of someone writing a blog post. I'd like to see the supposed study for myself

I am 60 yrs. old, about 5'5", 200 lbs. I have no health issues, and get yearly check-ups. I know that I do not always eat right, or get enough exercise, but I try to eat a healthy diet. I believe that our ability to handle stress, having a positive attitude toward life, and a spirituality that sustains us contributes tremendously to our overall health. You cannot measure health buy just the physical, because it is affected by everything we think and believe. As a young person I was very slim and athletic, and I think that has also contributed to my good health now as I am older, despite the extra weight.

Society is just brutal! I just read the first few articles concerning how a fat person is better than a fit one! Come on? I am sure if we posted a column on the advantages of being a heroin user, users would come out of the woodwork, toting the health benefits. Come on people. There are people that have reasons why they are overweight. Other than that you are just lazy!! Get of your butt and make a difference!

I think someone can be overweight and still healthy. There are people who just tend to be heavy, but are fit, active and eat a balanced diet, while there are thinner people who are not getting the nutrients they need and lead a sedentary lifesfyle. It think it depends on just how obese you are. Obviously if someone is morbidly obese to the point that they can't move around or are short of breath going from one room to the other - there is no way that can be considered healthy.

Hurray. I am 5'6", over 50 and 230 lbs and the most fit I have ever been in my life. I have Crohns Disease but have very few problems with it and have been told a bit of extra weight may be the reason why. I attend fitness classes 4 times a week and play soccer. Yet I am still told by some, including my mother, how fat I am. Sure a little less weight would be great, but as long as I am healthy and happy why worry.

I'm not comfortable with a study result such as this as it may encourage people to do nothing about their extra weight. I haven't read the study but I suspect that the authors would not conclude that being overweight is not unhealthy. It is. The point also that exercise is the best remedy is also untrue. Really, the best remedy is diet. Exercise comes second. The two should be combined, however. The problem also is that the word exercise means different things to different people and the notion that getting on a running machine and pumping it all out for thirty minutes is wrong. This actually teaches your body to preserve fat. Short, intense exercise is best as it reflects our paeollithic ancestry. That's when our bodies developed the DNA that we still possess today. The same for food, incidentally. Fruits,vegetables, meats, eggs, nuts andd seeds are what we shold be eating.
The problem here is that this study highlights the anomolies in the obesity population. Most fat people have health problems because they are fat and their extra weight is likely to lead the majority of them into that territory. Just because Churchill smoked all his life and died at age 90 doesn't mean that we can say that smoking doesn't carry any health risks. For the majority of smokers, obviousl,it does. Use common sense. Work hard to lose the extra weight through proper eating and effective exercise.

The quality of food affects your body. Is not such a thing : being obese = beautiful and healthy ! Avoid SUGAR and GRAINS and you will lose the weight very fast ..
Eat fresh vegetables and quality proteins and you'll not gonna have any weight problems... North American food is full of garbagge ingredients: steroids, hormones, colors, preservatives, processed sugar etc. I am 57 year old female , gave birth to a healthy son, but never gained weight because WE NEVER EAT bad food. We do not have health problems and we do not take any medication.
Your body is your temple: treat it with respect and love ! The food is your fuel !
Again: NOT SUCH A THING : BEAUTIFUL and HEALTHY BY BEING OBESE !

I can't quite tell since there doesn't seem to be link to any form of the published literature, but I imagine this study was done using the incredibly inaccurate measurement of BMI to determine whether an individual was obese or not. This not only means this study means nothing (which is a given anyways, and people REALLY need to stop saying it's okay to be obese) but also that researchers are still god damn idiots and like sensationalist studies. Then again, that also applies to the people who post said sensationalist studies as fact on the internet, despite the fact they know either the study wasn't done properly or the results are completely irrelevant in the scheme of things.

Everybody is different. Some people are in the "overweight" scale of BMI with very little fat, while others have a gut while at the top of the healthy range. A good measurement for one is not necessarily good for the other.

I run 5 to 7.5 km 3 to 4 days a week, I work out on the days I don't run. I park on the top floor of the parking garage and take the stairs during the work week. I follow the 80/20 rule. I am 5'3" and weigh 170 pounds, I am considered obese by BMI calculations yet I am fitter and healthier than a lot of people who are smaller than me. There is so much more to being fit and healthy than looking like a super model. Feed your body, feed your soul, and live life to the fullest.

This "obesity paradox" reminds me of the "cholesterol paradox" when people with high cholesterol lived longer than people with low cholesterol. The reason turned out to be that cholesterol has nothing to do with heart disease. Inflammation seems to be the common factor in most diseases. A healthy fat person could be less inflamed due to exercise and better food choices. Exercise does reduce inflammation and therefore is beneficial. But inflammation originating in the gut is the key.

The article makes sense to me. I know a few people who seem to fall into this catagory. They work out regularly and keep up with everyone else. I also think that they are few and far between however.

Absolutely agree! According to studies my BMI puts me at Obese but my body fat % is 20. There are so many misconceptions about obesity and the way we look at others that we do not take into account all the other components. I eat healthy, exercise 3 times a week, have no medical conditions and take very good care of myself. However, the BMI and weight on the scale are what drives people to categorize others. Sad but true

I take issue with obese people because I am under weight. I eat a huge variety of food and have a job in which I am more physically active every week than most people's gym workouts. I just can't get any larger no matter what I do. My issue is this: people, especially obese people, have no problem commenting or making jokes about skinny people but fat jokes are unacceptable. Sorry fatties, I decided years ago to take no prisoners and you have to put up with my fat jokes or stop making skinny jokes. You jolly elves seem to be able to dish it out but can't take it. So while Green Peace is trying to roll you back into the water, I'm going to have a few donuts.

I am obese. I have been most of my life yet I am healthy. Cholesterol is perfect, BP is 122/78, blood sugars are all in the green, and I suffer no issues. If you were too look at me via my medical chart, you'd never know I was 292lbs at 5'9.

That in mind, I STILL need to lose weight. Just because I am healthy now doesn't mean I'll stay that way and weight is still exceptionally bad for your joints. Exercise and healthy eating are exactly what I'm doing and I feel better for it. It'll be interesting to see what happens to the body chemistry with the weight gone. Not to mention how my self esteem will improve.

...sure it makes sense. The negative health effects of being overweight aren't entirely or even mostly due to the extra weight - but rather are a result of how one got the exta weight in the first place. Didn't we all know that already? So you keep active, you keep all the systems - metabolic included - in shape by - using them. And that means exercise. Then all those systems can deal with more abuse of any kind. Whether you want to be able to lift a couple hundred pounds over your head once a day, or carry 50 extra pounds around as body fat 7x24 or run a marathon once a year...you work out, your body gets stronger so it can deal with whatever your form of abuse is. Truthfully...even...you want to drink like a fish? Then work out and the physical pain/effects of all the drinking will be less. You won't be healthy by any measure of course, or eventually you won't, but you will be less unhealthy at any given point in time. So a fat person, who works out and puts on weight eating too much of a reasonalbly healthy and well balanced diet...sure they're healthy. Note to the overjoyed - you will have to be more active to be AS healthy than the not-over-weight version of yourself would. Cause you are training for more abuse (just like the difference between running a 5k and a marathon)

I agree to some extent, that is is possible to be physically fit and have an excess of weight. I consider myself to be somewhat overweight but I also know that being physically fit allows a person to feel much better, both physically and mentally. That being said, I have also experienced regularly exercising at a normal weight, and I must admit that it is easier when I had 20 pounds less to t move. I enjoy bootcamps, kickboxing, circuit training, weights, eliptical machines even at 60 yrs of age, however I must admit that the rate of exertion has slowed somewhat. Regardless, I will continue and eventually go to some exercises that are more joint friendly like yoga and aquacise with weights, which is great for arthritics. We must keep moving to prevent seizing up and becoming dromant!! Kudos too all who are physically active, biking is also great for those who can't keep up to a emandin routine!! Fast walking is also effective too!! . Keep it up!! You will be very satisfied with the results folks!!

Doesn't surprise me at all! My father is 83 years old and has weighed over 300 lbs for the last 15 years. He has no cholesterol or blood pressure issues. He was a farmer up till 6 years ago so was very active. He did no other exercise except what needed to be done on the farm. He eats bacon and eggs every morning for breakfast and has for as long as I can remember. He has no diabetes issues and eats salt on everything. His doctor has gone so far as to tell him that he can't even tell him he needs to lose weight as there is no medical reason to do so. The only problem he is having is his knees. The weight I am sure is a factor here, but I am sure that age also has something to do with that. He is pretty well the opposite for everything that they tell you about obesity. I believe everyone has their own size??? and fighting it is not going to change it.

I agree wholeheartedly with this article. I know people who are slim that are diabetic, have high blood pressure etc. I myself am considered obese, however eventually it does catch up with all of us depending on our ages. I think that medications have a lot to do with how everyone fares in life. My weight was put on by medication and so I try to walk with my dog every morning. But you know what I am happy that there are articles like this to make us feel better about ourselves and knowing that science is still looking after us! I do believe we need to exercise but you will always find those who eat lots and stay slim and those who eat very little and are shall we say a little plump, its all about the genes and how many fat cells we all have.....

Exercise is the best medicine? My belief is that food is the best medicine. By eating more fat and less carbohydrates I lost 15 lb. Better nutrition gave me more energy to exercise. Being obese and depending on exercise is not the answer.

I am 5'3, 38 years old, and have battled obesity from an early age due to emotional abuse. Food made the pain go away. I was the fat kid in school, high school, etc. In 2000 I hit 290 pounds...not any kind of life to be leading. By 2007 I got down to 180 pounds, and it was the greatest feeling in the world. I have since married and gained some back, but I will never allow myself to reach anywhere near 300 pounds ever again.

This doesn't suprise me at all! My cousin and I are the same age and for the last 4 years, i've been quite sedentary reading a hundred thousand pages of books for college. My cousin chose to pursue her passion for cheerleading and ended up coaching cheerleading to younger girls. In the end, I medically still have a healthy weight, while she is overweight, almost obese considering her BMI. However, despite the weight difference, there is no question that my cousin is a 100% fitter and healthier. I believe that one could carry extra weight and still be healthy if he or she ate good food and exercised.

Great article on a complex - multifaceted issue!

I am one of those people. According to the BMI, I am considered obese. However, I do not suffer from any conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol or insulin resistance. I am quite active, on a consistent basis. I average about 6-8 hours sleep a night, sometimes less. I take only medication for asthm, no blood pressure meds or cholesterol medication. I am also over 50 years old. I consider myself to be "fat but fit" and am healthier than many of my normal weight counterparts. So yes, I totally agree with this article. It is possible to be obese, but healthy.