Risky Business

A lot of people have a problem with the idea of gaining—or even simply glorifying the big and the beautiful.

Being fat, they say, is unhealthy and increases your risk for serious illness—diabetes and heart disease usually top the list.

Studies have shown that it is possible for one to be overweight—even obese—and still maintain a healthy metabolic profile. The opposite is also true (to be slim and have a poor metabolic profile). Yet no matter how healthy a larger person can be, data is now showing us that they will face an increased risk of health problems in the longer term as a result of their excess weight.

A recent study in Sweden indicates that as fatter people get older, their risk for heart disease becomes somewhere around 50% higher than their thin counterparts with the same metabolic profile (I propose one way to mitigate this increased risk at the end of this entry).

Much more research needs to be done, but the evidence available is clearly telling us that no matter how much fat people exercise and eat well, the simple fact that they are heavier places them in a higher risk group for late-in-life health problems.

But does that mean gainers or people who endorse the “big is sexy” mantra are somehow killing themselves or their partners?

Should elevated risk deter us from pursing something that makes us happy?


THE TROUBLE WITH RISK

The human race as a whole has a tricky relationship with risk.

We’ve spent millennia working to create systems and technologies that will reduce our risk of death or injury—ranging from the seatbelt of today to the time the first caveman put some rocks around his fire to keep his feet from getting burnt.

And yet at the same time, we revel in it. We make heroes out of the great risk-takers (explorers, warriors, astronauts). We are excited and inspired by risk, even if we are simultaneously terrified by it.

But no matter how much we try to prevent it, risk is all around. Simply living is to take risks.

Getting into a car is perhaps one of the riskiest things a young American could do. And yet every day, most of us do it without thinking twice.

A recent study by the American Heart Association found that watching TV (or sitting in front of a computer), increases the risk of heart attack or stroke by a staggering 80%, regardless of weight. And yet somehow I doubt any Americans are ready give up their Dancing with the Stars over that finding (I certainly won't be giving up my 30 Rock).

We try to live our lives with as many insurance policies as possible. Traditionally those policies were a spouse, children and close family connections. Later it became money, and most recently—as life-spans have lengthened—it’s come to include good health.

But the deep dark truth about life is that it’s short. It ends. Nobody gets out alive.

In other words: Shit happens.

We can calculate risk and avoid that which is not palatable but we can’t avoid living.


LIVE LONG AND PROSPER

I’d like to think that I’m a health-conscious big guy.

I weigh 360 pounds (yeah, those last 10 pounds just kinda crept up on me). I do cardio two or three times a week and live in New York City (sans car), where I probably walk a few miles every day.

Just to maintain at this size takes a lot of food. So I try to eat good stuff (you know, veggies) and avoid the bad stuff (like trans fats; too much sodium).

I’ll explore how to gain or maintain in a healthy way in another blog post, but I wanted to explain that I’m not simply sitting around on a couch all day stuffing my face with pie (as pleasing as that thought may be).

And yet despite all my efforts, I know that I’m still a 360-pound guy. No matter how much cardio I do or veggies I eat, my weight takes a certain toll on my body and I’m sure that it increases the risk that I may get sick or even die earlier than I would if I lost weight and kept it off.

Does that mean I’m killing myself?

No more than someone who drives everyday is killing themselves. Or someone who drinks a moderate amount of alcohol. Or watches TV.

Plenty of activities (and genetic factors) can elevate our risks for dying. But we can’t avoid all of them—and especially not the ones that contribute to our sense of well-being and happiness.
I want to live a long life, but I’d also like to live a happy one. Most importantly, I’d like to live one on my own terms. If you want to eat whey everyday and run 16 miles so you can live to 100, that’s great for you. That’s just not my idea of “living.”

I like to eat. I like to be big. So I’m finding a way to accommodate those needs with the right dose of precaution to live as long and happily as possible. If my vital signs ever start turning south, putting my health in serious jeopardy, I have no qualms about losing some of the weight to bring my risk back to an acceptable level.

But in general, I’m not going to stop myself from being who I want to be or doing what I want to do, simply because it might marginally elevate my risk of dying someday. Many things I love elevate that risk. That’s part of being alive.

I work in a field that requires a lot of travel (and living) in the developing world. When I lived in Nairobi it was considered the second-most dangerous city in the world. Crime is ubiquitous. Car accidents abound. And there’s countless untreatable diseases lurking about.

And then there's the simple stress of it all.

But even if my line of work means I have a higher chance of dying slightly younger, it won’t stop me from doing it. It’s what I love. Yes a nice safe accounting job in a cubicle in Sacramento might reduce my risk, but it wouldn’t give me the satisfaction and joy I get from what I do.

That’s a risk I’m willing to accept.


HOW MUCH RISK CAN YOU ACCEPT?

Does that mean that everyone should gain? Not necessarily. If you have reservations, take the time to explore them honestly. See a doctor and evaluate your risk (or potential risk) for health problems. Compare that against the other risk factors in your life.

Nobody should gain if they aren’t comfortable with the ramifications (see-sawing back and forth between gaining and losing is probably the least healthy thing you could do to your body).

When you’re deciding what to do—whether to gain, lose or maintain—just be sure to keep things in perspective; and always take the notion of “elevated risk” with a grain of salt.

Sometimes, life demands a little risk.

Now if you’re still hooked on the numbers thing and looking for some way to improve your long-term outcomes, you may want to check out a recent study by the New England Research Institute in Massachusetts: They found that regular sex (twice a week or more) reduced by 50% the chance of a heart attack in adult men—again, regardless of weight.

Sure beats an apple a day.