Cardiorespiratory Fitness: A Key to Longevity Over Weight Loss
Obesity is frequently enough considered one of the most meaningful factors in early mortality risk, but a recent review highlights that cardiorespiratory fitness plays a more crucial role in determining our long-term health and lifespan.
This revelation suggests that while obesity is linked to numerous health issues, maintaining fitness is more vital than simply achieving a ‘thin’ physique for longevity and sustained health. These findings could prompt a shift in public health strategies and treatment approaches.
“As a society, we tend to equate body weight or fatness with health status,” says kinesiologist Nathan Weeldryer from the university of Virginia.
A comprehensive analysis by researchers from the US and UK examined data from 20 studies conducted between 1980 and 2023, involving nearly 400,000 participants. These studies assessed body mass index (BMI), cardiorespiratory fitness, and mortality risk.
The research revealed that individuals with obesity who maintain high levels of fitness have similar early death risks as those who are fit with normal weight. moreover, being fit while obese can led to longer life expectancy compared to being unfit at normal weight levels.
“Fitness, it turns out, is far more important than fatness when it comes to mortality risk,” states exercise physiologist Siddhartha Angadi from the University of Virginia.
“Exercise serves as excellent ‘medicine,’ optimizing overall health by significantly reducing cardiovascular disease risks and all-cause mortality across all body sizes.”
The study does not downplay obesity’s impact on global health—currently affecting about 1 in 8 people worldwide, with numbers expected to rise significantly by mid-century—but emphasizes that its relationship with early death isn’t straightforward.
The researchers advocate for increased focus on physical activity over traditional weight loss methods due to their potential adverse effects like yo-yo dieting cycles which pose similar risks as obesity itself according Glenn Gaesser an exercise physiologist at Arizona State University.
“Improving cardiorespiratory aka aerobic fitness may help avoid these negative outcomes.”
The research has been published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
