Half Of Overweight Adults May Be Heart-Healthy

A lot of people, especially women, obsess about their weight - and sometimes other people's. The conventional wisdom is that overweight people are heart attacks waiting to happen, so they should be badgered and shamed to lose weight "for their own good." However, a new study suggests that about half of overweight people have perfectly health hearts.

You can look great in a swimsuit and still be a heart attack waiting to happen. And you can also be overweight and otherwise healthy. A new study suggests that a surprising number of overweight people _ about half _ have normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels, while an equally startling number of trim people suffer from some of the ills associated with obesity.

The first national estimate of its kind bolsters the argument that you can be hefty but still healthy, or at least healthier than has been believed. Read more