A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that fitness level, not body fat, is a stronger indicator in judging longevity for older adults.
Exercise expert Steven Blair of the
Those participants in the lowest fifth in terms of fitness had a death rate four times higher than those ranked in the top fifth of fitness.
Being fit provides protection against mortality in these men and women 60 and older, whether theyre normal weight, overweight or obese, Blair says.
The study also showed that even a modest effort to improve physical activity can provide health benefits. Those in the bottom fifth in terms of fitness were about twice as likely to die than those in the next fifth.
You shouldnt be scared and think, Oh, Im overweight, Im obese, its useless for me to be physically active, says Dr. Xuemei Sui, another
Blair adds, If youre overweight or obese, and youre sedentary and unfit, and you start taking three 10-minute walks a day, and you do that at least five days a week, youre not going to lose an enormous amount of weight. Youre still going to be heavy. But youre going to be much healthier, if you do that.
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