Physical Fitness Trumps Body Weight

Physical fitness trumps body weight in reducing death risksIf you maintain or improve your fitness level - even if your body weight has not changed or increased - you can reduce your risk of death, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.In a study of 14,345 adult men, mostly white and middle or upper class, researchers found that maintaining or improving fitness was associated with a lower death risk even after controlling for body mass index change.The study underscores the importance of physical inactivity as a risk factor for death from heart disease and stroke, said researchers. Researchers also found no association between changes in body fat percentage or body weight and death risk. ...more