They have a higher resting metabolism that helps them burn calories faster.
While beauty standards are changing and today’s models often carry more weight than they used to, attaining a slender body with a low Body Mass Index, (BMI), is something many people still strive for. Most people hoping to lose weight change their diet and try to become more active in an effort to consume fewer calories and boost their metabolism. New research is showing, however, that people who have naturally lower BMI aren’t actually uber active salad zealots. In fact, they could be just the opposite, at least partially. Here’s a look.
Less food and lower levels of activity
Research led by John Speakman, a profession at both the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology in China and the University of Aberdeen in the UK, unveiled some unusual findings.
The study he conducted looked at a group of people with a normal BMI and compared them with another group of those who were technically healthy but underweight. People with eating disorders were kept out of the study as well as those who had recently lost weight. The participants were followed for two weeks. They had the amount of food they ate measured. They also had their physical activity gauged using a motion detector.
“We expected to find that these people (with a low BMI) are really active and to have high activity metabolic rates matched by high food intakes,” said Speakman.
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”It turns out that something rather different is going on. They had lower food intakes and lower activity, as well as surprisingly higher-than-expected resting metabolic rates linked to elevated levels of their thyroid hormones,” he said.
The participants with a lower BMI were found to eat 12% less food than those with a normal BMI. They were also about 23% less active. Where they shone was in having a higher resting metabolic rate. This group expended more energy when just sitting around and they also had more active thyroids.
While those with a low BMI weren’t that active, they all had good blood pressure and positive heart health. Their cholesterol levels were also fine.
So, if you’re overweight with a high BMI, is there anything you can do about it? Yes. It can also be good to remember that we’re all genetically different, however.
The takeaway
Researchers involved in the study are now saying having a lower body fat may be more important in the long run, with regards to your health, than being physically active.
Of course, it really depends on the person. Every set of genes is different and it could be that a low BMI is good for some people and being more physically active is best for others. In fact, a study done at Ohio State University claims that people who start adulthood with a normal BMI and slowly gain weight as they age, but never become obese, are those who live the longest. Those whose BMI went up actually lived longer than those whose BMI stayed in the normal range across their entire lifetime.
What’s the key to longevity? Who knows! Maybe there isn’t one. Perhaps it’s all in our genes. Being obese seems to always result in health negatives but a few extra pounds may actually somehow be good for you.
If you’re trying to lose weight, talk with your doctor about the best approach and focus on making overall lifestyle changes.
photo credits: juefraphoto/Shutterstock.com
