Weight loss has long been considered synonymous with health and longevity. But while weight loss can lead to improvements in many health markers, such as blood glucose, blood lipids and blood pressure, weight loss alone is not a silver bullet for reducing the overall risk of death. Instead, one of the best predictors of death from any cause is lack of cardiorespiratory fitness—the ability of the heart, blood vessels and lungs to supply oxygen to working muscles, measured as VO2max. Recent studies suggest that to live longer, it’s better to focus on being as active as possible, rather than on losing weight.
In a study recently published in the International Journal of Obesity, researchers investigated whether changes in physical activity and body fat had different associations with deaths related to cardiovascular…
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Canadian Running (Digital) - 1 Issue, January/February 2023