Home >  Cardiology-CTVS >  Cardiology & CTVS News >  Physical activity may not...

Physical activity may not undo negative effect of excess body fat on heart health

Written By :  Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli
Published On 2021-01-22 04:30 GMT   |   Update On 2021-01-22 09:57 GMT
Advertisement

Sophia Antipolis - Globally overweight and obesity prevalence has reached pandemic proportions, and people with these conditions present with an increased cardiometabolic risk. Some evidence suggests, however, that a high cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) might mitigate the detrimental effects of excess body weight on cardiometabolic health, termed the 'fat but fit' paradox.

Researchers have found in a large study that physical activity does not undo the negative effects of excess body weight on heart health. The findings of the study have been published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

WHO recommends that all adults do at least 150 minutes per week (and up to 300 minutes per week) of moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activity such as walking or brisk walking, or at least 75 minutes per week (and up to 150 minutes per week) of more vigorous activities such as jogging, or a combination thereof.
"One cannot be 'fat but healthy'," said study author Dr. Alejandro Lucia of the European University, Madrid, Spain. "This was the first nationwide analysis to show that being regularly active is not likely to eliminate the detrimental health effects of excess body fat. Our findings refute the notion that a physically active lifestyle can completely negate the deleterious effects of overweight and obesity."
Advertisement
There is some evidence that fitness might mitigate the negative effects of excess body weight on heart health. It has been suggested that in adults and children, being "fat but fit" might be associated with similar cardiovascular health to being "thin but unfit". Dr. Lucia said: "This has led to controversial proposals for health policies to prioritise physical activity and fitness above weight loss. Our study sought to clarify the links between activity, body weight, and heart health."
The study used data from 527,662 working adults insured by a large occupational risk prevention company in Spain. The average age of participants was 42 years and 32% were women.
Participants were categorised as normal weight (body mass index [BMI] 20.0–24.9 kg/m2), overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9 kg/m2), or obese (BMI 30.0 kg/m2 or above). Additionally, they were grouped by activity level: 1) regularly active, defined as doing the minimum recommended for adults by the World Health Organization
2 (WHO); 2) insufficiently active (some moderate to vigorous physical activity every week but less than the WHO minimum); 3) inactive (no exercise). Cardiovascular health was determined according to three major risk factors for heart attack and stroke, namely diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
Approximately 42% of participants were normal weight, 41% were overweight, and 18% were obese. The majority were inactive (63.5%), while 12.3% were insufficiently active, and 24.2% were regularly active. Some 30% had high cholesterol, 15% had high blood pressure, and 3% had diabetes.
The researchers investigated the associations between each BMI and activity group and the three risk factors. At all BMI levels, any activity (whether it met the WHO minimum or not) was linked with a lower likelihood of diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol compared to no exercise at all. Dr. Lucia said: "This tells us that everyone, irrespective of their body weight, should be physically active to safeguard their health."
At all weights, the odds of diabetes and hypertension decreased as physical activity rose. "More activity is better, so walking 30 minutes per day is better than walking 15 minutes a day," he said.
However, overweight and obese participants were at greater cardiovascular risk than their peers with normal weight, irrespective of activity levels. As an example, compared to inactive normal weight individuals, active obese people were approximately twice as likely to have high cholesterol, four times more likely to have diabetes, and five times more likely to have high blood pressure. Dr. Lucia said: "Exercise does not seem to compensate for the negative effects of excess weight. This finding was also observed overall in both men and women when they were analysed separately."
He concluded: "Fighting obesity and inactivity is equally important; it should be a joint battle. Weight loss should remain a primary target for health policies together with promoting active lifestyles."
For further reference log on to:
1Valenzuela PL, Santos-Lozano A, Barrán AT, et al. Joint association of physical activity and body mass index with cardiovascular risk: a nationwide population-based cross-sectional study. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2021. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwaa151.
Tags:    
Article Source : European Journal of Preventive Cardiology

Disclaimer: This website is primarily for healthcare professionals. The content here does not replace medical advice and should not be used as medical, diagnostic, endorsement, treatment, or prescription advice. Medical science evolves rapidly, and we strive to keep our information current. If you find any discrepancies, please contact us at corrections@medicaldialogues.in. Read our Correction Policy here. Nothing here should be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We do not endorse any healthcare advice that contradicts a physician's guidance. Use of this site is subject to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Advertisement Policy. For more details, read our Full Disclaimer here.

NOTE: Join us in combating medical misinformation. If you encounter a questionable health, medical, or medical education claim, email us at factcheck@medicaldialogues.in for evaluation.

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

Comments Policy
Our comments section is governed by our Comments Policy . By posting comments at Medical Dialogues you automatically agree with our Comments Policy , Terms And Conditions and Privacy Policy .

Similar News

Overweight, Obese Patients Show Better Survival After Shockable In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Events: Study

PEACE Score Accurately Predicts Echo Abnormalities in Pulmonary Embolism Patients: Study Shows

Surgical ablation during CABG linked to improved survival in patients with preexisting atrial fibrillation, new study finds

Cholesterol-lowering drugs have no antidepressive effect: Study

MASLD Increases Atrial Fibrillation Risk More Than Alcohol, suggests study

Elevated TyG-WC Values Associated with Higher OSA Risk and Mortality: Study Shows

Medical Bulletin 22/July/2025

Tirzepatide May Lower LDL Cholesterol in Adults, Systematic Review Finds