When it comes to living longer, a new study suggests
that physical activity is more important than weight as
we age. Ideally, all of us should be both slim and
active, but this new study is a “light at the end of the
tunnel” for so many who struggle with their weight as
they age.
Exercise expert Steven Blair of the University of South
Carolina and colleagues tracked about 2,600 people age
60 and up, examining how physical fitness and body fat
affected their death rates over 12 years. The study
results are published in the December, 2007, issue of
the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In short, the men and women who were fit, as judged by a
treadmill test, but were overweight or obese had a lower
mortality risk than those of normal weight but low
fitness levels.
Those in the lowest fifth in terms of fitness had a
death rate four times higher than participants ranked in
the top fifth for fitness. The study showed that even a
modest effort to improve physical activity can provide
health benefits and lower mortality risk significantly.
The findings are particularly relevant as people in the
United States and many other countries live increasingly
sedentary lifestyles and obesity rates remain high. At
the same time, the populations are aging in many
nations.
"If you're obese and unfit and you start taking three
10-minute walks a day and you do that at least five days
a week, you're not going to lose an enormous amount of
weight; you’re going to still be heavy. But you're going
to be much healthier if you do that," Blair said. Blair
also stressed the importance of a healthful diet
including lots of fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
