Being fat is fine as long as you're physically fit

FIT FAT FOLKS out- live skinny couch potatoes, research shows. If you want to live longer, get off both the couch and the scale, and instead focus on being active.

Despite popular belief, it's possible to be both healthy and overweight, as long as a person is physically active.

The newest research on the topic tracked 2,600 senior citizens for 12 years. People who were physically fit were 50 percent more likely to live longer than their inactive counterparts, regardless of weight. That's according to research at the University of South Carolina published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Other research has shown similar gains for younger people--being physically active can reduce blood cholesterol and blood pressure, and basically can neutralize the negative effects of being overweight.

The South Carolina researchers recommended people spend at least 30 minutes a day being active, such as walking briskly.

This doesn't mean that you should throw common sense to the winds--taking a walk doesn't neutralize a steady diet of fast-food burgers, fries and sodas.

But the research is cheering because it shows that people don't necessarily have to reach their ideal body weights to be healthy. And that's fabulous news, because it's hard to lose dramatic amounts of weight.

I find it comforting to know that being active is a sort of invisible shield helping to ward off diseases.

Picking an activity

If you're thinking of being more active, you don't necessarily need to join a gym. Find activities that are fun for you.

It's best to have several activities available--things you can do indoors or outdoors, alone or in groups. Having at least one social physical activity, such as a team sport, an exercise or dance class, or walking with a buddy are helpful examples.

Being accountable to other people can motivate you until you establish an exercise habit that you genuinely look forward to. For example, I enjoy walking--it clears my mind when I'm alone, and is also fun to do with friends. On summertime walks, I like seeing what flowers are growing in my neighbors' gardens and area parks; in wintertime, I look for rabbit tracks in the snow.

Walking is one of the easiest and least expensive things to do, requiring only shoes and a safe neighborhood or shopping mall.

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Jennifer Motl is a registered dietitian. Formerly of Fredericksburg, she now lives in Wisconsin.

Date published: 1/6/2008

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