News.HealthGuru.Com : Study Finds 32% of Obese People are Still Healthy

Study Finds 32% of Obese People are Still Healthy

Contributor: Christopher Bruno Published On: 08/14/08

According to a recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, some people can be obese and still avoid many of the health risks typically associated with the extra weight. The study, conducted by Rachel Wildman of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, determined that a significant subset of obese individuals were metabolically healthy.

The study looked at carbo-metabolic anomalies – things like high blood pressure and low levels of “good cholesterol” – in more than 5,000 Americans. The study concludes that 32% of obese Americans over the age of 20, or roughly 20 million adults, are metabolically healthy – i.e. that they don’t display elevated blood pressure or other carbo-metabolic problems.

While obesity may not guarantee terrible health, it still seems like a less appealing option then remaining fit. Plus, I’m guessing that sex appeal isn’t radically higher among the metabolically healthy obese then among their “just plain obese” brethren.