[mountain walker]

On TV this morning there was a beautiful lady who said she was a UK size 28 and she had won a beauty pageant for plus sized ladies.
She had struggled with her weight all of her life and had endured all the nasty snide comments about laziness and so on that we all have experienced.
She had an epiphany when she saw an advert for this Pageant and went on to win it. She had loads of confidence and positively glowed with it.
There was a (predictably skinny) doctor sitting next to her who then proceeded to outline all of the risk factors associated with overweight and ( here's my point) that exercise has no benefit for the very overweight....oh and long live BMI as an indicator of health.
I was under the impression that ANY exercise at ANY weight is better than nothing...on a whole load of levels not just losing weight. Am I alone in this?
Thanks for your input.

[zoesmom]

Yes and no. For the exceptionally overweight, exercise COULD be damaging. But hear me out! The doctor was totally in the wrong if what he said was it has no benefit. But, if he said that it could potentially cause issues, then he was technically correct.

The exceptionally overweight need to pay attention to several things when they take up any exercise routine. As with anyone, there are risks associated with exercise, but this is amplified for the obese. Cardiac and respiratory problems, joint injuries, heat exhuastion, and dehydration are things that pose significant more risk to the obese than the fit. So the obese need to work with a doctor on how to modify exercises in order to safely get the most out of their workout with out creating complications. The obese and exercise newbies also have a tendency to overworkout, which tends to net no real results other than fatigue and injuries.

That being said, exercise is the corner stone to health. I was told in August of 2012 to file disability. I was told I would forever be on an O2 tank and have no quality of life. I was told my "exercise" should consist of no more than walking back and forth from my bed to my couch. I was 29 and knocking on death's door. Today, I can bench press 85 pounds, run 3 miles, do HIIT 3 times a week, and anything else I put my mind to. I have to watch my heart rate like a hawk, I have to still do breathing treatments, but had I listened to the doctors, I likely would be in the grave today. So in essence, that doctor you saw was a dick. He was right in the fact it could potentially have no benefit if she didn't pay attention to her body, but the truth of the matter is, it most likely will have benefits, and tons of them.

And BMI is NOT an accurate measure of health. My BMI puts me in an obese range. My DEXA body scan on the other hand, which measure fat, puts me in an acceptable range. I plain and simple have too much muscle for the BMI charts to accurately chart my health.

[mountain walker]

Zoes momthank you for your insightful reply. I am so inspired by the improvement in your health as I have a few health challenges myself, some related to or aggravated by, my weight by some no fault of my own, just bad luck. I figured that any moving is better than no moving as long as common sense prevails.

[Vortex_VVV]

Yes! You know, I remember being told by doctors not that exercise had no benefit, but that I should just focus on diet because that was all that would really result in weight loss.

And I think it's true that exercise without food control won't result in much if any weight loss. But it wasn't until I started exercising for its own sake that I realized how important it is.

In addition to all the physical benefits, exercise lifts mood and has been shown to be as effective or even more effective in fighting moderate depression as most depression drugs. How many of us who are or have been morbidly obese haven't had the experience of getting in a spiral of depression and overeating? And how could any doctor ignore the important potential of exercise to make us feel energized and in control--so important for changing habits.

Long live exercise for all!!!

[silentarctic]

Well I disagree, perhaps it does have "no benefits" for me medically from a purely physiological standpoint (although I find that hard to believe, I'd like to see the science behind that).

However even at my Extremely Obeses size I've experienced the following benefits:

Mental Health Benefits - When I exercise I feel better about myself, It helps me seperate the stressful work day from the rest of my evening.

Social Benefits - I've noticed that working out is a socially acceptable activity I've gotten to be aquainted with a lot of awesome people through going to workout classes. I might never be bffs

Fitness Benefits - See I can lift more, I can DO more, I can walk further, and faster... well honestly I could DO those things before but now that I work out somewhat regularily I do those things and I don't keel over in pain the next morning. I at most feel a slow burn that says I've pushed my limits. My recovery times in comparison to thin people who aren't active.

Being active improves my quality of life, When I make excuses and do NOT get enough physical activity in I feel icky and not good. Do I think excercise magically makes all my problems go away of course not.

So even if it doesn't lower my cholesterol, or improve my HDL or... lower my risk of diabetes my life is better because of exercise. (And yes I realise my life is purely anecdotal and not scientific proof of these benefits but... I hope it encourages you not to forgo excercise especially if its activities that you enjoy!).

[mountain walker]

Thank you for the support! As you say Arctic the benefits of exercise are so multifaceted. I know that when I am able to exercise I have no desire to overeat, which I guess is something to do with serotonin.
Exercise rocks!