‘Fat but fit’ a furphy

BEING “fat but fit” is a myth, doctors have warned, with overweight people facing a greatly increased risk even if other key markers suggest that they are healthy.

A UK study of more than half a million people found that those who were overweight or obese had up to a 28 per cent higher risk of developing coronary heart disease even if they had healthy blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

This contradicts previous smaller studies that suggested some overweight people could remain healthy.