Interesting Magazine Article on Obesity - Long Read

Hi Everyone, I ran across this article in the June issue of Women's Health & Fitness magazine. I never even knew this was possible, but I found it very interesting. It says a lot for exercise - that's for sure! Take Care, Tanja P.S. Sorry the format is kind of messy; I had to literally cut and paste it out of the magazine and then scan it, etc. etc. - lol The skinny on skinny By Amy Brayfield Think being thin let's you off the health-hazard hook? Think again. These days, obesity is just as likely to show up in a size 4 as it is in a size 22. Here's how to tell if you're at risk. Jennifer Marshall always thought she was lucky. She practically lived on cheeseburgers and beer throughout her 20s and never gained a pound, celebrated her 30th birthday by splurging on a super-expensive pair of size 4 jeans and booking a routine appoint­ment with her doctor. "I'd always thought I must be healthy because I was so thin," Jennifer says. "So when my doctor told me that I was actu­ally borderline obese, I couldn't believe it. I thought you had to be fat to worry about obesity." Obesity is nothing new in the Ameri­can landscape. The CDC estimates that as many as 30 percent of all adults older than 20 - more than 60 million people - are obese. And as the number of obese Americans continues to grow, scientific under­standing of obesity is growing, too. What we're learning about obesity is that it's about more than the numbers on the scale. And - as Jennifer learned - obesity has less to do with being fat than you might think. The obesity connection Most of us know obesity is a bad thing. We've all seen the statistics: Being obese means you're twice as likely to be diag­nosed with high blood pressure. Gaining just 15 pounds in adulthood doubles your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes. Gaining more than 20 pounds before your 50th birthday doubles your risk of later-life breast cancer. And every time you gain two pounds, your likelihood of getting arthritis jumps by about 10 percent. Still, these facts don't seem to significantly affect the number of obese Americans. Despite the prevalence of these facts in the media and several current government health ini­tiatives, the number of obese people in the United States continues to grow. At the same time obesity is stretching toward epidemic proportions, the ideal celebrity body seems to get thinner and thinner. You can practically watch the shrinking of tabloid princesses like Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan in your grocery store lane checkout. In some ways, those super-thin waifs seem like the obesity antidote, but researchers are finding stronger relationships between the very thin and the very obese. The connection? Body composition. Body composition is usually measured as a percentage: the amount of lean mus­cle mass in your body versus the amount of fat. Lucky genetic combinations and good metabolism can keep you from looking fat, but if your percentage of fat outweighs your percentage of lean mus­cle, you're considered obese - and you're subject to all the same potential health problems that an obese person faces. In other words, you can be skinny and fat at the same time. In fact, even body composition may not be the best measure of your overall health, says Steven Blair, president and CEO of the Cooper Institute in Dallas. Blair argues that body composition - like height or eye color - varies from person to person so much that setting a number as an arbitrary stan­dard is problematic. The best clue to your health outlook isn't how thin you are, it's how active you are, Blair says. Fit, not thin Instead of focusing on shrinking down to a specific body type, Blair believes peo­ple should focus on being active. And he should know - he's been studying the connection between fat and fitness for more than a decade. And what Blair's work shows may surprise you: Fitness turns out to be a more reliable predictor of health and longevity than measure­ments like BMI or weight. In other words, however much they weigh, an active per­son is likely to be healthier than a more sedentary one. Blair pulled more than 9,000 women at a variety of weights and fitness levels and compared their risks for premature death. Moderately fit women, even those who were considered overweight, reduced their risk of premature death by about 48 percent compared to women who weren't fit at all. And very fit, obese women -those who could walk longest on the treadmill during a treadmill test - were 60 percent more likely to avoid premature death than very thin, not fit women. you can be skinny and fat at the same time... This is good news for most of us, whose switch to a healthier, more fit lifestyle probably won't correlate to an instant supermodel body transformation. "I'm in great shape, but I'm never going to be a size 4," says 28-year-old Leslie Parrish, who's lost 40 pounds over the last two years through a mix of diet and exercise. "I try to focus on how I feel, which is great." Leslie, who is technically still considered overweight, says that shifting her focus from being thin to being healthy keeps her going to the gym. "I have big hips and big breasts - I'm never going to have a body like Kate Moss. But I'm learning what MY best body is, and I'm proud of myself for working to achieve it." "Not every person can be a size 6," says Los Angeles-based personal trainer Leslie Burch. "But every person can be more fit." Healthier and happier The realization that dress size doesn't automatically equate to a healthy body can be both liberating and terrifying. For Jennifer Marshall, who learned she was borderline obese despite her slender frame, it was both. percent more likely to avoid premature death than very thin, not fit women. This is good news for most of us, whose switch to a healthier, more fit lifestyle probably won't correlate to an instant supermodel body transformation. "I'm in great shape, but I'm never going to be a size 4," says 28-year-old Leslie Parrish, who's lost 40 pounds over the last two years through a mix of diet and exercise. "I try to focus on how I feel, which is great." Leslie, who is technically still consid­ered overweight, says that shifting her focus from being thin to being healthy keeps her going to the gym. "I have big hips and big breasts - I'm never going to have a body like Kate Moss. But I'm learn­ing what MY best body is, and I'm proud of myself for working to achieve it." "Not every person can be a size 6," says Los Angeles-based personal trainer Leslie Burch. "But every person can be more fit." "I spent my whole life believing that being a certain size was the most impor­tant thing," Jennifer says. "Now I know that it's pretty much meaningless. I've actually gone up a size over the last year and a half, but I look and feel better than I ever have." ^ ___________________________________________________ REAL ways to keep obesity at bay Boost your health by giving your weight a pass and focusing on your overall health. v* Add in weight training. Cardiovascular fitness is key, so don't hop off the treadmill, but improve your lean muscle mass by adding a little weight training to the mix. ? Eat more protein. It's your body's muscle building block. v Cut out stress. When you're stressed, your body releases a hormone called Cortisol, which can break down muscles and increase abdominal fat. * Get your beauty sleep. Those eight to 10 hours really are essential for a healthy lifestyle.

Thanks for that article Tanja!! My neighbor who is also my gym partner can eat ANYTHING and I mean ANYTHING (her favs are Oreo's and Quarter Pounders) and not gain an ounce. She is currently 5'1 and 114 lbs and if I'm not mistaken her highest weight (while preggo) was 120?! Anyway, my NUT told me that she might be skinny but she is also probably not healthy. I was like WHAT?? Now after reading through the article it makes sense. It's still annoying that our unhealthy lifestyles show and theirs don't. She is sooo tiny and guys just gawk everywhere we go. I swear I feel like an Ogre standing next to her BUT I know I'm going to the gym to get healthy and she's still woofing down bacon, egg and cheese biscuits every single day...so....one day I'll look as good on the outside as I feel on the inside!! By the way YOU LOOK SOOOOO GREAT!!! I LOVE your pics what an ispiration you are!! Way to go!!! Jamie

Hey Jamie, Glad you liked the article; I know there are a lot of people like that out there (skinny and unhealthy), but you're right - it is irritating that people look at us and just assume we are not healthy (or vice versa) because of the way we look. But, as long as we feel good and know we are healthy or getting there, that's what counts!! Way to go on your weight loss! You're doing great! And thanks a lot for the compliments; honestly, exercise has been a big part of it for me. It's nice to be able to feel that you are getting healthy and not just looking thinner - you know?? Take Care, Tanja

HI Tanja, Thanks for the good info. Now I don't feel as bad about just recently trying my best to get healthy. Getting my health back was my prime objective to get this surgery in the first place. Like Jamie, I may still look obese..but I am still trying..baby-stepping all the way. I may never be a size 4 and probably not even a size 12..so I 'll just keep trying to regain my health...even though the scale has turned into an obsession for me lately!! HugsGinger

Hi Ginger, I just thought it was an interesting article so I wanted to share it. I told myself in the beginning that it was all about getting healthy, and somewhere along the way the balance kind of shifted - when I started noticing a big difference in my appearance, that felt really great. But in the end, I have decided that health is indeed the most important thing. I am actually enjoying exercising (wow), and it really makes me feel awesome when I can tell that I am building muscle and my endurance is increasing. I am still overweight and technically, I may always be, but to know we are healthy is a big deal - not everyone can say that. As long as we never quit trying, there is always a chance for us. I know what you're saying about the scale - though; I have a hard time getting the idea that I have to reach a certain number out of my head. Take Care, Tanja

Hi Sandra, When you think about it... makes you wonder about a lot of people - huh? Makes sense though; how can anyone live on Taco Bell and still be healthy?? Tanja