Hugo L
Yes, obesity can have a variety of harmful effects on your health – such as diabetes and heart diseases. But let’s not forget about the positive effects of being overweight.
That’s right! Having a Body Mass Index (BMI) above 25 is not all bad, and this is why:
1. Easier to Keep Warm on a Cold Day
Fat insulates your body. It prevents the cold air from stealing that nice warm temperature you want to have. The more fat, the easier it will be to stay warm. Pretty nice, huh?
2. Building Muscles are Easier
According to livestrong.com, it’s considerably harder for skinny people to build muscles compared to heavier individuals. That’s why bodybuilders like to gain a lot of weight during off-season, and then go on extreme low-carb diets to lose the excess fat and prepare for the competition season. Only the new muscles remain.
3. Some Cultures Admire Overweight People
In some African and Asian cultures, obesity is a sign of wealth and high status. This means that if you would visit one of these regions or countries, people would look up to you in awe and admiration. Wouldn’t that be nice for a change?
4. Better Chance of Surviving Without Food
In the very unfortunate event of being stranded on an isolated and uninhabited island, or being captured by enemy forces and thrown into a POW camp, you would have a much better chance of surviving a long period of starvation than your skinny friend would.
Ok, perhaps two not very likely scenarios, but combined with #1 on this list (easier to keep warm), your chances of surviving hardships are much much higher with a few extra pounds on your body. That’s why it was an advantage in the stone age to have a slow metabolism.
5. You Can Get Rich
You can apply for a place on the Biggest Loser TV show for a chance to win $250 000 (and get to meet amazing people like trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper). Skinny people can’t do that!
6. You Burn More Calories
When doing the same activity as a slim person, you would burn more calories. It’s quite logical. The heavier you are, the more energy is needed to move around. So, if you and your skinny friend both take the stairs up to the third floor, you will have burnt more calories than him/her. Nice!
Time to Get Serious
Now, don’t shout with joy just yet. As you probably understand, when everything is factored into the equation, having a slim body composition is still better than being obese. In other words, your goal should still be a healthy weight (BMI between 18.5 and 25).
Eat healthy foods and find a physical activity that you enjoy doing. You will become healthier, happier and live longer!
But yet, I think it’s important to know that not everything is bad about being overweight. There are at least 6 good things!
