If you're carrying excess pounds, take heart. Two recent studies suggest that some obese adults may be overweight and healthy. Although this issue is still heatedly debated by doctors, at least one study suggests that obesity isn't always associated with an abnormal metabolic profile. Is it possible that you can have an obese body weight and still be healthy?

A study published in American Medical News that used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 1999 to 2004 found that twenty-four percent of normal weight adults had at least two metabolic abnormalities such as elevated blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, or other markers that made them at high risk for medical problems such as heart disease. Surprisingly, thirty-two percent of those who were obese had a metabolic profile within the healthy range while over half of overweight people had a healthy metabolic profile. Although the results of this study doesn't necessarily mean that being obese is healthy, it does suggest that not all obese adults have an abnormal metabolic profile that puts them at risk for heart disease.

Some experts believe that the harmful effects of an obese body weight stem more from where fat is carried on the body rather than total overall body fat. For example, it's thought that excess weight in the waist area is a greater risk factor for metabolic syndrome in obese adults than is excess body fat carried on the hips and thighs. Measurement of the circumference of the waist might give more relevant information about risk factors in obese adults than a simple body weight or even BMI.

There are also obese adults who have a high activity level despite being unable to lose excess pounds. This active group could be at lower risk for complications due to their level of physical activity. Previous studies have consistently shown that adults who engage in regular moderate to vigorous physical fitness have a lower mortality irrespective of body weight.

While this study shouldn't encourage obese adults to maintain their obese body weight, it does show that further studies need to be performed to look at the possibility that other parameters such as waist circumference may be a more important indicator of the risk of metabolic syndrome or heart disease. This study only addressed one particular medical problem seen in obesity. Obesity has also been shown to increase the risk of certain types of cancer such as breast and colon which suggests that an obese body weight needs to be addressed for other reasons.

Despite the results of this study, obese adults should increase activity level and consume as healthy a diet as possible. Not only can this reduce the risk of chronic disease, it may also help to promote weight loss.