Can You Be Fat and Fit?

By Shauna Zamarripa

Rate:

Post Comment |

View Comments (7)

In today's world of monitoring everything from your body mass index to measuring your waistline, many people don't realize that you can be fit and fat at the same time.

It is extremely possible to be fit, yet considered overweight by many of today's standards. A large part of this has to do with whether or not you are considered overweight due to muscle gain or have just a few extra pounds to lose.

Medical studies have shown individuals that are slightly overweight, yet not sedentary have a 45 percent decreased risk of premature death, whereas normal weight and underweight persons had a 55 percent chance of perishing before they reach old age. This is an astonishing number, however, it supports the fit and fat philosophy. Individuals making progress and strides toward better fitness, being lean and building muscle are much better off than anyone at any weight doing nothing at all.

Looking at BMI charts can be devastating to those just on the cusp between "fat" and "fit". Over half of the individuals in this designation are not overweight, nor are they unfit. When you exercise, you build muscle. The muscle you accumulate weighs more than fat, however, takes time to break down and shrink fat cells.

Page [1] 2 3 | Next ›

Also From Around The Web

Comments (7) Add Comment

Show/Hide comments

written by joe , May 02, 2011 06:12 am

You cannot be fit & fat because your body is in transistion from fat to fit, fit is the ability to handle activities well while fat is a weight issue. Comparing active people to inactive ones is not a weight issue unless the person is very heavy which restricks their ablity to move.Fitness is more important to the quality of life then weight which seems to an artificial number created by vested interets in wt. loss-medicial-drug industries.

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +1

written by amazingcuddles, May 02, 2011 08:39 am

I believe you can be fat and fit at the same time, if you look at body builders if you look at their weight they would be considered over weight because of all the muscle but they are not over weight they just have alot of muscle.

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +1

written by Heidi, May 02, 2011 11:33 am

Joe,

In our modern society people have lost track of that. As a woman who is considered morbidly obese, it always amazes people when they hear how active I am. Even though I am fat, people a*sume that I am not fit. It is hurtful, really, but that is the way society is. I am not suffering from common health problems a*sociated with heavy people (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.) and I am much more physically active than most people I know. I don't eat unhealthy and that is why. Unfortunately as a teenager, other people forced this image of beauty on me and in an effort to conform to that image I ruined my metabolism and it has been a vicious cycle ever since. I will never be thin and may always be fat, but I'll probably outlive all those skinny girls out there!

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +4

written by jim, May 02, 2011 03:12 pm

I think this fit & fat issue solely depends on how much weight your frame can handle.....we now have 300 + lb bodybuilders-some look fit,some look fat.I still think it doesnt do anyone any good to be too fat and it doesnt do anyone any good to be too thin...I think people on the cusp of fat & fit are really quite healthy-and they probably dont even realize it!!!!!!!!!!

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +0

written by Rosemary, May 03, 2011 07:15 am

I don't think you can be fit and fat, but I do believe you can be slender looking and fat.

People who aren't toned, but with in their clothes appear to be fit.

I person who is fit (IMO) even if they aren't of perfect weight might have more muscle than say a more slender person who doesn't eat properly.

I think the article should read can you be slender and fat. If a person who is 110 doesn't work out much, they may have fatty areas that most don't see initially.

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +0

written by rosemary, March 09, 2012 05:11 am

No you can't be fit and fat. A person who is muscular, but be what is considered over weight. However I do believe you can be a size 4 and be flabby.

People can be slender only because they don't eat a lot of calories, but not toned and it jiggles and they need cardio and a little bit of weights to make a person look good naked as well as with clothes on.

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +0

written by Mariam, March 09, 2012 06:42 am

Being 'fit' has nothing to do with what your body may or may not look like. "Fit" has always been explained to me as being able to preform various activities without being winded or overly taxed physically. It IS possible to do this and be considered 'over weight'. In my personal experience I've never been able to do many things because of my lack of interest and being 'fat', but that didn't stop me from being able to walk for hours around town, walk up hill in blizzards and helping to push cars out of being stuck at the same time and not be exhausted because of it. Granted, where I was living my only mode of transportation were my legs, I walked everywhere and my weight was always a steady 200+. However, I was also a lot more active than anyone I knew. Being flabby or jiggly has nothing to do with it, nor is it a sign of being 'unfit' because some people have a body structure where they are physically incapable of being toned or being 'skinny'.

report abuse

vote down

vote up

Votes: +0

Write comment

Show/Hide comment form

Featured Quizzes

Can You Be Fat and Fit?