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Is it Possible to be Fit and Fat? BY CARYN HONIG RD LD BE HONEST! Do you have a bias against overweight or obese walkers, runners? How about overweight non-exercisers? As you run by an overweight walker do you think to yourself "how could someone let themselves go like that?" As you wear skimpy shorts and no shirt (or running bras for women) are you thankful that you don’t have to hide behind large, baggy clothes? And, do you think that being overweight precludes a person from being fit? Chances are you answered "yes" to at least three of the five questions. Face it, Americans are definitely biased against overweight and obese people. Being thin is considered healthy and chic, while being overweight is considered unhealthy, unattractive, asexual, and weak. Most health care professionals use the body mass index (BMI) as a measurement for overweight and obesity in adults. BMI is a direct calculation based on height and weight, not fat mass and fat-free mass. It also does not account for race, ethnicity, gender or age. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is defined as overweight and a BMI of 30 and over is considered obese. The BMI guidelines were released in the U.S. on June 17, 1998. Since that time, approximately 97.1 million Americans (or 54.9% of the population) have been classified as overweight or obese. Society now considers thin, gaunt, and emaciated as "healthy" and "fit." Believe it or not, at different points in history the round, full-bodied, Rubenesque figure for women was considered beautiful and ideal. In the early 1900’s the actress Lillian Russell was considered one of the most beautiful women in America. At 200 pounds, she was considered "the ideal weight." Today, we would classify her as overweight or even obese. Recently, we considered 5’7", the 90 pounds model, Kate Moss "ideal." Regardless of whether a person is considered overweight or obese based on medical or society’s guidelines, can a person be fit and fat? "Absolutely," said Jon Divine M.D., Clinical Faculty for Memorial Family Practice Residency and Sports Medicine Fellowship. "You can have an overweight person who has very strong fitness capabilities. They might be more efficient if they lost some weight, however, they can still be in very good shape." Dr. Divine vividly remembers Randy White, an ex-Dallas Cowboy football Hall of Famer who would be considered overweight by today’s standards. "Randy went as far or farther on a treadmill stress test then many other athlete we had seen," said Dr. Divine. "He went as high as walking 6 miles per hour at a 22% grade." In comparison, 4.2 miles per hour at a 16% grade is considered good. Also consider Cheryl Haworth, an Olympic bronze medallist weight lifter who is 5 feet 9 inches and weight 307 pounds. Her BMI is 47 and she weighs 160 pounds more than the NIH recommendations of 155 pounds. Dr. Divine is among an increasing number of experts who are emphasizing that overweight and obese individuals can and should enjoy the health benefits of exercise and can be fit and fat. Experts, fitness enthusiasts, and the general population need to disseminate the message that being thin is "in" and thin is fit. Fitness should be the focus rather than the numbers on scales. All people should try to appreciate the many ways individuals cope with the stigma of being overweight. Do everything in your power to help reduce the public’s discrimination of this population. Above all, help broadcast the message that ideal weight is a preference, not a medical standard and it is possible to be healthy regardless of size. And, next time you run by someone who most likely struggles with their weight, give them a word of encouragement or better yet, the thumbs-up.
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