Jog On
Another week, more sensationalised research about the evils of being fat – why the findings can be taken with a big pinch of salt
By Rosalind Frankly
BREAKING NEWS: apparently “fat but fit” is a myth when it comes to cardiovascular health. An observational study claims that exercise can’t compensate for the negative effects of excess weight; note “apparently” and “claims”. Diving beyond clickbait headlines and glib quotes (‘One cannot be fat but healthy’🙄), the study is, well, not “fit” to make such a concrete conclusion. Why? Settle in.
Dr Natasha Larmie, GP and creator of The Fat Doctor, was quick to label the published findings “lazy science at best.” Some of her concerns? The way data was collected and outcomes were measured.
“A lot of the information was out of date, missing or self-reported. Outcomes measured were blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes, not cardiovascular events. Also, they did not adjust [their findings] for a number of important factors,” she says. (Most ludicrously, they didn’t control for diet, which seems like a pretty important factor to consider if you’re measuring high cholesterol and diabetes 🤯)
Her biggest issue, however, is the observational study design. “In order to prove you cannot be fat and fit you would need to do a randomised controlled trial (RCT). And follow up would be long enough to see some real improvements over time, ideally 5 years.” As Dr Larmie points out, “there is a difference between finding a link between two things and being able to demonstrate that one causes the other. There could be all sorts of reasons why that link exists and it is important not to jump to any conclusions.”
Despite this, the mainstream media were quick to bang the weight stigma drum, The Times going with a sneering strapline of “Joggers who jiggle should stop fooling themselves” (written by a science correspondent who, according to his LinkedIn profile, has no background in science). We’d like to know what exactly it achieves to tell overweight people that doing a physical activity they enjoy or that helps their health or mental wellbeing is pointless? *hard stare*
Stories like these are just one reason Dr Larmie is on a mission to challenge the stereotypes surrounding weight loss, wellbeing and mental health. “Fatphobia is endemic in society and affects all areas of our lives: the education system, the workplace, the criminal justice system and healthcare. For the most part, it goes unchallenged,” she says. Well, it’s time for that to change. Next time you see the media publishing a bold and conclusive claim from a study, take a closer look.
“I'm not saying you shouldn't have an open mind. Of course you should,” says Dr Larmie. “But we live in a very unfair society, and in order to overcome that, we are going to have to remain sceptical until we start to see a real shift in the way things are being reported to the general public.”
Agreed – spinning a simplistic and flawed study with the aim of (further) shaming fat people is, frankly, pretty shitty. So whatever your weight and however you feel about it, lace up those running shoes, master that yoga headstand and/or dance up a storm in an impromptu kitchen disco. Because when things like this hit the news, it’s always worth looking for the pinch of salt.