MetabolicTrash
Member
Ok, but now we once again get into the age old debate of: does being overweight automatically mean you are unhealthy relative to your lean counterparts? To which I say absolutely not. The other age old debate is: get rid of fat, restore health. Both assumptions are false. Is that natural state of a healthy metabolism a pretty lean body? Yes, I do think so. But "forcing" it against your bodys will is NOT the answer. It should happen "naturally". Modern fitness culture is absolutely obsessed with forcing weight loss at all costs. Fasting, caloric restriction, carb restriction, insane workout routines, excess stimulants, etc etc...
I realized this after I eliminated my life long depression, despite being obese compared to super lean now. I was nearly suicidal level depressed very frequently when younger, despite being extremely healthy weights.
In fact, user tyw said that weight has almost nothing to do with overall health, I'm not sure I'd go that far, but it's very possible for the overweight person to have way better co2 and t3 levels than the lean person. The lean person having waking temps of 95-96F temps due to "athletic" status, but the fat person having temps 98F+. In fact I can sometimes achieve euthyroid 98.4F+ waking temps despite being obese, whereas when I was lean I was in the 96F temps and felt VERY bad. User ilikecats is one of the healthier people on these forums while being very overweight. He said before I presume he left the forum (I haven't seen him post a while) due to fixing his health, he found no reason to post anymore, that he basically lived in a constant state of euphoria his health was now so good. And I am pretty sure he doesn't exercise, at all. It's all chemicals and hormones. Fix those, fix your CO2 levels, fix your T3 levels, and all is well. I'll be fair though and say that In some cases exercise might assist in fixing chemicals/hormones but I don't believe its required.
So you wouldn't recommend a bedridden, sick, dying, low-energy person to try and get their energy up + exercise? I didn't say you couldn't be healthy without exercising -- I'm saying exercise can play a part in health changes somewhat. Even though I may have hurt my system somewhat from exercising so much in the past, all of that past activity carries on epigentically in a sense. Without any exercise history I don't think I'd have made biological markers as I have now (fitness/muscle memory; etc.).
Exercise has an ATP + mitochondrial + epigenetic + mental effect on people, which is why it can play a role in health to some degree. I'm not saying its magic, but it can help in various cases. Just not doing much of anything physical because of inefficient C02 or thyroid or low energy doesn't seem ideal to me. I realized I pushed too hard after the fact, but that now allows me to go back in a smarter way rather than a reckless one -- or become inactive. Exercise crashed me due to excess, but I don't fear it -- now I know I have to be smarter about it to utilize it better to my health/advantage. I agree with the obsession with being lean at any expense, but simply feeling good doesn't mean healthy always, does it? I mean I felt pretty good when I was nearly morbidly obese and PUFA-driven for some time. Should I start gaining 100 lbs. again and eating tons of honey buns, cookies, hot pockets, vegetable oils, and Burger King every day to bring back that experience of calmness and low stress of the past?
I get where you're coming from, but I can't reason with the idea that exercise shouldn't be considered a serious tool to improve health on some level, even in unhealthy. Exercise forces you to adapt and makes a whole chain reaction of changes. Maybe healthier people get by with little/no exercise if all is ideal, but that doesn't mean exercise can't be a slight bonus for those less healthy in some way (or that healthy people shouldn't exercise much if they're pretty healthy despite not exercising).
I also associate extreme inactivity with death. Lots of older people start getting slower/less active/less motivated/etc. In my view this doesn't sound like it comes from a place of health/ease, but of decay/slow decline they give in to on some level. Older people lots of times become: overweight (yes, PUFA is often the culprit/big player); slower/weaker (lack of exercise plays a role here somewhat); less mentally stimulated/motivated (they withdraw socially/have mental decline/don't get out much anymore or learn or etc.). It to me gives the impression that as they get older, lots of people start throwing in the towel and care less about movement, diet, etc. -- and then death consumes them sooner or later. Not saying you can outrun/lift death, but I get the feeling that you can at least fight it until it can be avoided by way of exercise/diet/etc.
There is also a study that shows/links grip strength with heart survival/heart strength. People who exercise tend to have stronger grips. If stronger bodies/muscle helps with heart health, clearly it can play a role in health somewhat if those who don't exercise maybe wouldn't have reaped these possible benefits.
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