Anyone who is overweight could have told you this many times over, but a recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine proves this scientifically.

The findings, based on national health data collected from 5,440 US adults, shows that weight is often not a very reliable measure of health. 

Overall, thin people were still metabolically healthier than people who were overweight or obese. But being a normal weight was not a reliable indicator of health. In the study, about 24 percent of thin adults, or about 16 million people, posted unhealthy levels for at least two of the risk factors.

By comparison, among the overweight, about half the people had two or more of the risk factors. But half of them were also metabolically healthy. And nearly one out of three obese people were also metabolically fit.

While it’s long been known that it’s better to be fit and fat than being thin and sedentary, the new data are believed to be the first time researchers have documented the unreliability of body size as an indicator for overall health.

Study author MaryFran Sowers, a University of Michigan obesity researcher, told The Associated Press that the results show that stereotypes about body size can be misleading, and that even ‘’less voluptuous'’ people can have risk factors commonly associated with obesity.

Dr. Sowers said that when it comes to weight and health risks, “We’re really talking about taking a look with a very different lens.'’

From the New York Times, August 13th 2008