CHICAGO - New research reveals the notion that you can be fit and fat simultaneously, finding that being active has least but not completely eliminated heart risks faced by heavy women. According to the Dr. Martha Gulati, “It doesn’t take away the risk entirely, weight still matters,” a heart specialist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Previous research has shown that the exercise or weight has a greater influence on heart disease risks. But according to the new study consisting of nearly 39,000 women, help to sort out the joint effects of physical exertion and body mass on women’s chances of acquiring heart disease.

The study by Harvard-affiliated researchers appears in Monday’s Archives of Internal Medicine.

Volunteers were the only women aged 54 on averages who filled out a quiz at the study’s start demonstrating their height, weight and extend of weekly physical exercise in the past year, including walking, jogging, bicycling and swimming. They were then monitored for about 11 years. Total 948 women developed heart disease. Women were used to say active if they followed government recommended plan and engage their selves at least 30 minutes in moderate activity almost in whole week, including brisk walk or jogging. Women who do less exercise than above recommendations were considered inactive. Weight was measured by body mass index (BMI). A BMI between 25 and 29 is considered overweight, while above 30 is obese.

In Comparison with the normal weight of active women, the risk of developing heart diseases was 54 percent higher in overweight active women and 87 percent higher in obese active women. On the contrary, the risk of developing heart diseases was 88 percent higher in overweight inactive women and 2½ times greater in obese inactive women. Out of five, two of the U.S. women at age of 50 will eventually suffer from heart attacks or other cardiovascular problems. Extra weight can raise those diseases in many ways, including by hypertension and risk for diabetes, and by raised cholesterol level. Physical Exercise counter acts all three risks.

Dr. Amy Weinstein of Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center lead author said, “It is reassuring to see that physical activity really does make an impact.” However, she added, “If you’re overweight or obese, you can’t really get back to that lower risk entirely with just physical activity alone.”

University of South Carolina obesity specialist Dr. Steven Blair, a leading supporter of the “fit and fat” theory, said that, “the study is limited by relying on women’s self reporting their activity levels. That method is not as reliable as a more objective fitness evaluation including exercise treadmill tests.” Blair said “These tests include the heart rate measures to see how the heart responds to and tolerates exercise.”

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