"You can look great in a swimsuit and still be a heart attack waiting to happen. And you can also be overweight and otherwise healthy. A new study suggests that a surprising number of overweight people — about half — have normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels, while an equally startling number of trim people suffer from some of the ills associated with obesity."

This little snippet was in the San Fransisco Chronicle, and to it I reply "Yawn...you don't say."

The report goes on to add:

"The first national estimate of its kind bolsters the argument that you can be hefty but still healthy, or at least healthier than has been believed.

The results also show that stereotypes about body size can be misleading, and that even "less voluptuous" people can have risk factors commonly associated with obesity, said study author MaryFran Sowers, a University of Michigan obesity researcher.

"We're really talking about taking a look with a very different lens" at weight and health risks, Sowers said.

In the study, about 51 percent of overweight adults, or roughly 36 million people nationwide, had mostly normal levels of blood pressure, cholesterol, blood fats called triglycerides and blood sugar.

Almost one-third of obese adults, or nearly 20 million people, also were in this healthy range, meaning that none or only one of those measures was abnormal.
Yet about a fourth of adults in the recommended-weight range had unhealthy levels of at least two of these measures. That means some 16 million of them are at risk for heart problems."

So don't let anyone give you *that* look, you know, the look we all know we get from thin people who think they are morally superior just because they can eat Kettle Chips without it showing up on their thighs.

If you take care of yourself, eat well, exercise enough, live well and sleep well, you're probably just as healthy as that size ten looker on the train munching a Twix. Or the person watching you disdainfully as she picks at her salad (no mayo.)

We are all individuals. We are not a dress size, our weight or a statistic. Embrace your individuality. Stop reading diet magazines and eating 'dust.' Live a bit, and enjoy your life. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise.

And if you're interested, you can read the full article here: