“Study demolishes the myth that exercise makes up for obesity”

Can you make up for the health risks of obesity by exercise? Probably not, according to a new Swedish study on 1.3 million young men.

Men who were obese but fit had a 30 percent higher risk of premature death, compared to thin couch potatoes.

• National Post: Fat but fit worse than slim and lazy: Study demolishes myth that exercise makes up for obesity, scientists say
• Int. J. Epidemiol: Aerobic fitness in late adolescence and the risk of early death: a prospective cohort study of 1.3 million Swedish men

Interestingly the whole idea that moderate excess weight might be good – the so called obesity paradox – is probably fake. According to a recent study it can be explained by the fact that smoking and many diseases cause weight loss:

Obesity: Smoking and reverse causation create an obesity paradox in cardiovascular disease

When excluding smokers and people who recently lost weight, the normal weight people lived the longest.

To be a non-smoker and at normal weight is probably best for a long life – just as one might expect. And to be fit is a bonus.