Being in shape is better for longevity than being thin, new study shows

A comprehensive review found being out of shape greatly increased the risk of dying prematurely – regardless of age or body mass index. Being in shape is far more crucial for a long, healthy life than being slim. That’s the conclusion of the largest, most comprehensive study yet of the relationship between aerobic fitness, body mass index and longevity.

A review and analysis of reams of earlier research, it found being out of shape doubled or tripled the risk of dying prematurely, whatever someone’s age or body mass index. On the other hand, if someone were obese but aerobically fit, he or she was about half as likely to die young as someone whose weight was normal but their aerobic fitness low. “This tells us that it’s much more important, all things considered, to focus on the fitness aspect” of health and longevity, “rather than the fatness aspect”, said Siddhartha Angadi, an exercise physiologist at the University of Virginia and the study’s senior author.



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