Thinner Does Not Always Equal Better Health

The experts are all over the place- on television, online, in magazines and even in the malls- obesity is costing the American public billions in health care costs, leaving people to die far before their time and robbing them of their self esteem and more. Obese people are at a higher risk for problems that range from increased aches and pains to more serious conditions such as heart disease, Type II Diabetes and certain types of cancer. Many people might believe that since obesity is the “cause” of so many health problems, then being thin must protect them from these risks. That is not true.

British researchers have discovered a gene which links the ability to remain thinner with an elevated risk of heart disease and diabetes. And that gene is not the only problem. According to experts, many of the people who are thinner believe that they do not have to exercise or watch what they are eating and that could not be farther from the truth. It is also dangerous thinking, because in most people, the metabolism can undergo a major change in the later years.

Thin people are at equally at risk for high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels and other factors that can increase their risk for heart disease. They are also at a much higher risk for brittle bones, especially if they have a body mass index which is 19 or lower. Those thin framed people have smaller bones to begin with and do not build mass as they move around. The human body starts losing bone mass during the later years by nature and those small bones are just at higher risk for osteoporosis especially if they do not exercise, including weight training.

Additional health risks for the very thin can include irregular menstrual cycles or even amenorrhea (skipping menstrual cycles completely). that can lead to problems with fertility as well.

Experts caution that no one has a free ticket to eat whatever they want without worrying about the future health risks, even the very thin people. In a study, three groups of people, normal weight, overweight and obese were given blood work as well as weighed. Half of each group were asked to continue eating and activities as they had and half were asked to follow a special diet and exercise plan meant to help them achieve better health. The groups were re-weighed and tested at six months and then again at the two year marks.

At the end of the study, the members of the latter group, were found to have better cholesterol and blood pressure readings regardless of which weight group they fell into. The researchers found only minor weight changes in the groups at the six month mark, but any weight that had been lost at that point had been regained by the two year mark leaving researchers to conclude that it was better eating habits and not body weight that contributed to the health of the participants.

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