'FIT IS EQUAL TO HEALTHY': EXPERTS BUST COMMON MYTH

The terms health and fitness are often used interchangeably, and it couldn't be further from the truth. A person with a strict exercise and diet regimen may have several health complications that aren't obvious.

Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath's recent social media post on suffering a mild stroke has drawn attention to why fit may not necessarily be healthy. So, what exactly does it mean to be healthy?

"We often make the mistake of thinking that if someone looks fit from the outside (with muscular strength and proper cardiorespiratory level), they aren't suffering from any disease. But a fit person could be very unhealthy," Hyderabad-based neurologist Dr Sudhir Kumar, Apollo Hospitals, told IndiaToday.in.

Integrative lifestyle expert Luke Coutinho, a bestselling author and co-founder of You Care Lifestyle, told IndiaToday.in that true health is achieved "when the mind, body and spirit are aligned."

"You can appear fit, capable of lifting heavy weights, boasting a fabulous figure with six-pack abs and flawless skin, working out seven days a week, and having a charismatic personality. However, if you harbour toxicity in your mind, remain unhappy and ungrateful, seek quick fixes, lack balance, flexibility, and mobility, ignore your body's signals to slow down, possess a bad attitude, and lack kindness and compassion, you are not healthy," Coutinho said. 

There's a need to broaden our definition of health and wellness, moving beyond judgement based solely on external appearances, he added.

Dr Dayanand Yaligar from Apollo Clinic defined being healthy as having full strength and vigour with "freedom from signs of disease, where physiological systems work in harmony."

Being healthy refers to overall well-being, encompassing physical, mental and emotional aspects.

"It involves the absence of illness or disease and the presence of optimal bodily functions and mental clarity," Dr Suraj Kumar Kulkarni, Senior Consultant, Interventional Cardiology, SPARSH Hospital, said.

Being fit, on the other hand, implies physical fitness, which includes aspects such as cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition. 

Fitness is mostly external, Coutinho said, adding that many people who appear to be fit with fabulous bodies could be counting calories, intensely working out at the gym, relying on fat burners or steroids, running marathons with sleep deprivation, and participating in spiritual classes, "yet emotionally, they struggle with mental turmoil, sleep deprivation, frustration, toxicity, and unhappiness - disconnected from their soul."

From a medical point of view, Dr Kumar added that a person may have normal bodyweight - their body mass index (BMI) is around 25 - but they can be "metabolically obese."

"This is called metabolically obese normal bodyweight. While normal bodyweight looks at muscle and fat together, a person might have excess fat only in the abdominal area of their body or visceral fat, making them very unhealthy. Many diabetics with high blood sugar levels have a normal BMI," said Dr Kumar.

To understand how healthy you are, the expert suggested checking your insulin resistance, blood pressure and triglyceride levels (heart health). These three markers show how "beautiful" you look from the inside, highlighted Dr Kumar.

One of the main signs of an unhealthy body lies in the consumption of alcohol. Common among physically fit people, doctors say it poses a serious threat to the heart and brain. If you're smoking, that is linked to several diseases as well, including cancer. 

One major sign of an unhealthy habit is sleep deprivation, pointed out by Coutinho. Sharing similar thoughts, Dr Kumar said, "Most people who are doing well in life are also sleep-deprived. While 7 to 8 hours of sleep is normal, less than 6 hours is hazardous."

Overworking is another aspect that puts the body in an unhealthy state. A 2021 Lancet study found that people who worked for more than 55 hours or more in a week had a 13% higher risk of heart attack and a 33% higher risk of stroke. 

"In India, most people cross 55 hours of work in a week, and we've normalised it. It is not normal and we need to learn to cut off at some point. Sadly, most high-profile people overwork," the neurologist said. 

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 150 minutes of rigorous exercise a week is recommended, with 300 minutes of moderate exercise per week.

Dr Basavaraj S Kumbar, Consultant, Internal Medicine, Aster Whitefield Hospital, Bengaluru, called "overexercising and pushing the body too hard" as red flags indicating you're fit but not healthy. 

"Even if you're physically fit and perform well during workouts, feeling constantly drained can be a sign of something deeper. Listen to your body, ensure you're getting enough rest and nourishing your body with a balanced diet," Dr Kumbar told IndiaToday.In. 

High levels of stress have been linked to several underlying health issues, a marker of an unhealthy body.    

US-based Dr Jonathan N. Stea, Clinical Psychologist, Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Calgary, said that many physically fit people could undergo immense stress which increases various disease risks. 

"Long gone are the days of what's called 'Cartesian dualism,' which describes the idea that the mind is totally distinct from the body. Instead, we now know that the brain gives rise to the mind, such that brain health is mental health. This means that considering diet and exercise in improving mental health is foundational," Dr Jonathan Stea told IndiaToday.In. 

Dr Jyoti Kapoor, Founder-Director and Senior Psychiatrist, Manasthali, said that a mentally healthy person can manage and express a wide range of emotions in a healthy and balanced manner, without being overwhelmed by negative feelings. 

"They exhibit clear thinking and sound judgement, they're able to make decisions based on rationality and evidence rather than being driven solely by emotion or impulse," she said. 

The bottom line is that achieving genuine health requires a holistic approach beyond physical fitness. This means emphasising a balanced and mindful lifestyle.

Dr Kumar concluded, "It's not enough to look pretty from the outside, you also need to be healthy from the inside."

2024-03-01T14:14:43Z dg43tfdfdgfd