Lack of activity more life threatening than obesity

I found a great article on CNN health a few weeks ago with a similar headline as this post. It talked about the danger of being idle, and the benefits of activity for all of your organs. I found it interesting, especially since we hear so much about the health risks of obesity, to find that those who are naturally slim without working out may be actually less healthy.

I couldn't find the same CNN article, but I did find a little bit of a dated study from 5 years ago that stated the same idea. Exercise boosting the immune system, improving insulin sensitivity and increased bone density were more valuable to long lasting lives than lack of activity all together.

These findings are of public health significance because both physical inactivity and obesity have been cited by the Surgeon General as two of the top 10 public-health priorities for the nation. In this study, inactivity was a significant predictor of all-cause mortality, and overweight men who exercised reduced their risk of premature death compared with overweight men who did not exercise.

Just more proof of the overwhelming good a little daily activity will get you, and in addition, doctors in this study found that the amount and intensity of activity was not nearly as relevant as the benefits all together.