The idea that obesity and health problems seem to go hand-in-hand is pretty prevalent, but two recent studies have found that fat doesn't equal unhealthy.
Body Mass Index, or BMI, is the ratio of a person's weight and height. BMI measurements are often used to place one in categories like underweight, normal, overweight or obese. The new studies used the Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS), which factors in physical as well as psychological issues, according to NewsMax.
Fitness level, waist size and genetics were considered by study authors and determined to be a better predictor of health risk, according to NewsMax.
"Using the EOSS criteria, we see that there are many obese individuals who are healthy other than (having) an excess body weight," Assistant Professor Jennifer Kuk, from the York University's School of Kinesiology and Health Sciences in Toronto, said, according to NewsMax.
"For these healthy obese individuals, the value of weight loss is questionable," Kuk continued. "This tool will help physicians to prioritize treatment for those who need it the most, and identify those healthy obese who do not need to lose weight."
Kuk and her team kept track of 6,000 obese Americans over 16 years, and then compared their health to the health of thinner people.
"Although excess fat generally causes negative health, this is not always true," Kuk said, according to NewsMax. "You cannot use body weight alone to judge health, as there are some obese individuals who show no other health problems. These individuals have a healthy lifestyle, and factors such as diet and exercise may be just as important for your health."
The second study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, also used the EOSS, which was developed by Dr. Arya Sharma and others at the University of Alberta.
The key, scientists say, is to not gain any more weight and avoid "yo-yo dieting," where weight fluctuates rapidly from crash diets and rebound weight gain.
