Just small amounts of regular exercise can increase longevity, even for overweight people who do not lose any fat, according to a new study published today.
The finding underscores the role physical activity plays in overall well-being and may help overweight people continue with an exercise program that is not resulting in weight loss, experts said.
The study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, examined long term data on exercise patterns and BMI for over 650,000 people aged over 40 in Sweden and the US.
Up to 75 minutes of walking per week was linked with an average 1.8 years of extra life compared to those who did no exercise, while 150 minutes of brisk walking per week was linked with an increased life expectancy of up to 4.5 years.
An active lifestyle and being of normal weight was linked with an increased life expectancy of 7.2 years compared to obese people who did not exercise, the study found.
“More leisure time physical activity was associated with longer life expectancy across a range of activity levels and BMI groups,” the study’s authors concluded.
Dr David Bentley, from the Human Exercise Performance Laboratory, at the University of Adelaide’s School of Medical Science said the study sent the right message to people who exercised but saw no weight loss.
“And that’s not uncommon due to a number of dietary and genetic factors. You don’t necessarily, from a health perspective, need to benefit by losing body weight because of the benefits of exercise on a number of physiological systems, including the cardiovascular system, which is probably related to the increase in life expectancy observed in this study,” he said.
“Losing fat mass is just one benefit. There’s also mental health, cardiovascular fitness, muscular skeletal fitness — there are a number of potential benefits you will see aside from weight loss due to exercise.”
Rob Newton, Foundation Professor of Exercise and Sports Science at Edith Cowan University said the study showed that the public health message should be “fitness not thinness.”
“We have got totally the wrong medical and public health message going out,” he said.
“Unfortunately, with body image, obesity is a visual thing and people fixate on it. There’s little money and support for increasing physical fitness because there’s no money in it.”
“You can make money out of lap-band surgery or weight loss programs but you can’t make money out of telling people to be more physically active. I think the government needs to regulate the weight loss industry.”
Prof Newton said the risk of early death for a person who is fit and obese is actually less than for someone who is normal weight and inactive.
Shirley Alexander
Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Teaching, Learning & Equity) at University of Technology, Sydney
This is a very important article. Should this be a new "literacy" for our students? It could even be incorporated into the generic skills students develop during their degrees - after all, it will help them copy with busy personal and professional lives!
Would be interested to hear whether anyone has tried yet?
Yoron Hamber
Thinking
Yep Shirley, it is definitely a important article in that it points out that exercise do get you results, even if you're not losing weight, or fat. But as a guess I expect all to lose some fat at least. But exchanging it into muscles that are heavier, more dense, than the same amount of fat. So that may fool some people as they train, watching their weight stay the same.
But it would be very interesting reading some studies about why some people lose weight more easily than others. I've seen it referred to as 'brown fat' relative 'white' etc, meaning that brown fat you burn more easily but? And then we have the genetics which also may play in, but how?
Yoron Hamber
Thinking
Eh, lot's of buts there, isn't it :)
Ah well.
Michael Duff
Public Servant
You don't exchange fat for muscle.
Outside a very small window of newbie muscle gains (ironically expanded by greater "fatness"), you won't add muscle while in an energy deficit and you won't lose weight unless you are in an energy deficit.
Some people "lose weight more easily" because they have a higher NEAT rate but its relative and I doubt too many people who have ever lost a considerable amount of fat and kept it off found it easy.
Yoron Hamber
Thinking
NEAT rate, I'm not sure what that is Michael? And me using 'exchange' should be seen in the meaning of "Adam was promised immortality in exchange for his disobedience", no other way.
The way I used to train was three days a week, more when fit (as my personal preference). but three is definitely good enough. What you do is 'work out', maybe bringing some bananas (Yep, we're that close relatives :) for that 'fast energy'. Then afterwards you have a optimal two hours window for eating, slow carbohydrates…
Read moreYoron Hamber
Thinking
Btw, I'm talking about eating normally here, but planning the food time for your body's needs, inside those two hours after training. I'm not saying that you must eat one meal more just because you train something. You can look at it as doing some heavy work, then coming home to eat, and rest. It's a modern problem this one. And it's no miracle cure for burning fat, but it will in time get you to a new and cooler life style. For stamina you have a lot of other activities too, as dancing for the ladies maybe :) Everything works as long as you're moving that body feeling good.
Steve Pratt
logged in via email @cancerwa.asn.au
I think this is a naive and not particularly helpful analysis of this research. It simply confirms what we have known for a long time; that exercise and body weight are independent, and interdependent, risk factors for NCDs.
The relationship between diet, activity and body weight is undoubtedly complicated, but if we start with the premise that all contribute to health (NCD prevention), along with smoking and alcohol drinking, it is a good start.
I agree that we need to spend more on physical activity promotion, but not at the expense of healthy weight promotion (noting the various precautions with weight).
The food industry has been very effective at promoting activity to distract attention from their various marketing activities, and the contribution food has made to weight gain. Surely the public health community can stand above this false dichotomy?
Paul Rogers
logged in via Twitter
"Prof Newton said the risk of early death for a person who is fit and obese is actually less than for someone who is normal weight and inactive."
That's quite a generalisation, and would depend on how you define fitness and obesity. I would challenge the notion that an obese person can be 'fit', although I recognise the comparative values here.
Even so, let's aim high; the game's not up yet. Fit and lean is the main target.
Stephen Prowse
CEO at Wound CRC
There seem to be some conflicting messages here and in the media at the moment. A recent health report on ABC RN had a different message from a different study in Australia. There need to be clear unambiguous messages to the community. While recognising that fitness and fatness are not to well defined, a message that fat and fit is OK does not seem to be consistent with the Australian study.
Foysal Ahmed
logged in via Facebook
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Foysal Ahmed
logged in via Facebook
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You will find some of their idea worth trying.