Thin and Fit is Best

isten up, ladies: Being fit and fat is not going to protect you from type 2 diabetes and being thin and unfit will not shield you from a heart attack or stroke. These are the conclusions of two related studies published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Furthermore, having both diabetes and heart disease triples the risk of heart failure in post-menopausal women.

There is a size acceptance movement that argues that there are few health risks associated with being overweight as long as a person is fit. One of these large-scale studies dispels that notion with the finding that, while both are predictors, a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 25 was a greater risk factor for diabetes than physical inactivity. At the other end of the spectrum, many thin women falsely believe that being at a normal weight precludes them from having to exercise. However, their arteries tell a different story. Overweight is a risk factor for heart disease, but it seems that physical unfitness is an even stronger predictor.

Obviously, being fat and unfit is a combination that puts women at serious risk for heart disease, diabetes, and several other chronic diseases. The best way women can reduce their health risks is to both lose extra weight and to exercise.