Living Fit. Living Well

Is it possible to be both fit and overweight? Reports from a recent study published in the European Heart Journal say the answer is yes. To gain knowledge on the role physical activity plays in the overall health of obese individuals, researchers assessed 43,265 adults between 1979 and 2003. Researchers used traditional body mass index (BMI) calculations to determine BMI, while body-fat percentage was measured by hydrostatic weighing or skinfold testing. The study concluded that “those considered obese (with a BMI > 30 percent) according to BMI measurements, 5,649 (30.8 percent) were classified as metabolically healthy, while 12,829 (46.3 percent) of those considered obese based on body-fat percentage were deemed metabolically healthy.

We often hear that muscle weighs more than fat. Regardless of what you are weighing, a pound is a pound, but two things that weigh the same can be very different in size. A pound of marshmallows is going to take up more space than a pound of steel. The same is true for muscle. A pound of fat mass is bulky, fluffy, and about the size of a grapefruit. A pound of lean muscle tissue is hard, dense, and about the size of a tangerine. Therefore, when you strength train and build lean muscle, you might not see any loss on the scale, but you swear your pants are feeling loose around your waist. So when you hear someone say that muscle weighs more than fat, you can help them understand this myth.

“The complete picture of ‘fitness’ is much more than a number on the scale or a subjective image of what ‘fit’ looks like,” explained ACE Exercise Physiologist Jessica Matthews. “At the end of the day, being physically active has a much greater purpose than solely improving physical appearance. Leading a physically active lifestyle increases one’s level of fitness, which in turn also improves overall health.” Additionally, being active enhances your ability to engage in the activities of everyday life that are important to you, such as playing with your children or grandchildren, hiking and swimming while on vacation, or simply having the freedom to move throughout the day with ease.

It’s important to keep in mind that, in terms of optimizing health and enhancing overall well-being, structured physical activity should be combined with the adoption of other healthy lifestyle habits (adequate sleep, increased movement throughout the day, etc.) that will enable you to lead the healthiest life possible.

Fat mass (FM) is affected by sleep, stress, and nutrition, while fat free mass (FFM) is affected by exercise— particularly resistance training to build lean muscle tissue. Healthy eating and proper nutrition (consuming a diet balanced in protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats) also play a role in building muscle.

The “gold standard” for body composition is the Bod Pod, which uses Air Displacement Plethysmography (ADP). ADP uses whole body densitometry to determine lean muscle mass versus fat mass.

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