Why getting fit is more important than getting thin

Why getting fit beats losing fat

KEEPING fit is more important than losing weight if you want to live to a ripe old age, research shows.

By: Jo Willey

In a study of 14,345 men with an average age of 44, scientists found that maintaining or improving fitness was associated with a lower death risk even after allowing for changes in Body Mass Index.

They measured fitness in Mets, short for metabolic equivalent of task, a measure of energy expenditure.

Moderate activity like walking the dog is rated between three and six Mets, while running is six or higher.

Researchers from the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health found that every Met unit of increased fitness over six years was associated with a 19 per cent lower risk of heart disease and stroke-related deaths and a 15 per cent lower risk of death from any cause. People who became less fit had a higher risk of death, regardless of BMI changes.

The results are published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. Lead researcher Dr Duck-chul Lee said that women would probably have similar results to men.

He said: “This is good news for ­people who are physically active, but can’t seem to lose weight.”