It’s Not All about Your Weight…Or is It?

You don’t have to be skinny to be healthy. In fact, sometimes people who are too skinny can be extremely unhealthy. Along those same lines, you might be overweight, but you were given a clean bill of health at your last physical so that means you’re healthy. Well, not necessarily.Research conducted over the past 20 years suggests added fat is more than a little extra cushion—fat cells are actually toxic manufacturers, each one producing inflammatory cytokines (chemical messengers of inflammation) throughout the body and causing potentially serious damage to your health. It is this understanding that has led experts to examine the effects of being overweight, even when an individual is considered physically fit.Last year, results from a study suggested that the fat, but fit theory is not true. The study focused on more than 1.3 million Swedish men who researchers followed for 30 years. The researchers found that compared to physically fit obese men, normal-weight men who are not physically fit have a lower risk of dying. Another study found that regardless of physical fitness, increased levels of fat in the body can lead to high levels of inflammation. You’ve probably heard me say this before, but you’re going to hear it again…and again – inflammation is the root cause of all disease, especially chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes.Another study that appeared in the journal Clinical Cancer Research in 2015 found a correlation between increased levels of white fat tissue and poorer prognosis in early-stage breast cancer. White fat, known as white adipose tissue, is fat stored for energy, but it also plays a role in raising inflammation levels when found in excess throughout the body.So, what if you run or work out every day, but you’re overweight, what are some things that you can do to improve your health?

• Assess your body fat rather than your body mass index. A bioelectrical impedance assessment is a more comprehensive look at your body composition assessing lean body mass, body fat and body water percentages. Assessing body fat rather than body mass index gives you a better picture of your overall health.
• A good amount of research exists that identify gut flora as a contributing factor to aspects of your health including weight management and inflammation levels. Because the typical American diet can lead to imbalances in the gut flora, it’s a good idea to include a daily probiotic with your daily supplements.
• Eat a clean, whole-foods diet. This is not a fad, this is a lifestyle change. Fill your diet with lean proteins, fresh vegetables and fruits. Keep sugar, artificial sweeteners and processed foods out of your diet. Those are the foods that bring toxins into your body, lead to inflammation and negatively affect the gut flora.