The prevalence of overweight and obesity has reached pandemic proportions and people with these conditions present with an increased cardiometabolic risk. Some evidence suggests, however, that a high cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) might mitigate the detrimental effects of excess body weight on cardiometabolic health, termed the “fat but fit” paradox.

In a recent study “fat but fit” identified that although physical activity may partly mitigate the detrimental effects of overweight/obesity on cardiovascular disease risk, excess body weight per se is associated with a remarkable increase in the prevalence of major risk factors. While the benefits of increasing physical activity and maintaining an optimal body weight are widely known, whether the cardioprotective role of physical activity can counteract the detrimental effects of obesity remains controversial.

We have all heard about the “COVID 19” (remember the freshman 15) right? Well, being physically active may assist in maintaining some level of health but the results of this study prove that weight loss should remain a primary target for health policies aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk. Get on that treadmill, take that morning run, and then, push yourself away from the table, it will pay off! Stay the course, stay well, mask up and stay tuned!