As far as popular opinion goes, the lack of a skinny waistline is immediately associated with being fit. Walk into a room with a sign that announces your arrival before your stay, and chances are people will question your lack of fitness. Next comes West Indies and Rajasthan Royals cricketer Shimron Hetmyer who set a new world record by hitting 19 sixes in a single tournament in the ICC T20 World Cup. Beyond his batting, he has shown impressive fielding ability by taking several catches, including three in the Super Eight match against India.
The catch that left India skipper Suryakumar Yadav required Heitmayer to take a few steps back, climb up and over his head before sitting back and taking the tumbler. At this point, his beer- and barbecue-happy Mad Ruff was on full display as his jersey went up. But this only shows the sheer athleticism of the West Indies who will be in action in the Indian Premier League.
Dr Brahm Dutt Pathak, Senior Director of Gastrointestinal, Minimal Access and Bariatric Surgery, Fortis Hospital, Faridabad, says that a flat stomach or lean body frame is often considered a sign of good health, but medically, these visual indicators alone do not define fitness. Like Heitmeier, there are heavyweight boxers, strongmen, shot putters and defenders and blockers in American football, among others, who do not have a flat stomach and defy the widely accepted definition of what it means to be athletic and fit. And yet, we give too much importance to the waist line.
“Society has historically been concerned with order, beauty, and health. Media representation, social conditioning, and more recently, social media have reinforced the idea that a lean body is the ultimate symbol of well-being. This perception often ignores the fact that health is multifaceted,” explains Pathak.
Flexibility is not a measure of fitness
Durva Sivakumar, a fitness expert at Cult, attributes this trend to the Western world’s bodybuilding culture and big-budget commercial cinema to describe “slimness as fitness”. Says Sivakumar, “Heroes flaunting their six-packs are treated as a badge of pride. This physique is often achieved through extreme dehydration and fad diets that are not sustainable and are anti-healthy.” Also, it doesn’t automatically mean that someone is really fit.
A person may look lean but still have a high body fat percentage and low muscle mass, adds Ankita Matundkar, Associate Consultant, Department of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Kokilabin Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai. Conversely, those with belly fat can still be strong and active if they exercise regularly and maintain healthy habits. According to Sivakumar, the main indicators of fitness and athleticism are mobility, functional strength, recovery and endurance.
According to Sivakumar, the main indicators of fitness and athleticism are movement, functional strength, recovery and endurance. On top of that, true fitness also reflects how well the body is functioning internally. “Factors such as cardiovascular endurance, metabolic health, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and lipid profile provide a more reliable picture. Many people who appear thin may have poor metabolic health or a sedentary lifestyle. Therefore, appearance should not be mistaken for true physiological fitness,” says Pathak. Matundkar, however, cautions that this does not mean that people with large waistlines can celebrate or fool themselves into thinking they are fit. “Too much belly fat is unhealthy and increases the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular problems,” she says.
You can be fat and fit at the same time
Despite having a belly, you can be fit as long as you do the right things like eating right and getting enough exercise. “Anyone can be fit and athletic if they are mobile, can move pain-free through a full range of motion, have active strength such as lifting their own body weight, and recover quickly after a sprint or run, returning to normal breathing,” says Sivakumar. “If someone has these features, without having a belly or enjoying the occasional weekend pint, they can be considered fit and athletic,” he affirms, making it clear that he is fit and fat at the same time.
For big athletes like Heitmeyer, it’s best to judge them by their athletic performance rather than their body fat percentage or their looks. “A heavyweight boxer can fight with great intensity for more than six rounds, while an American football blocker sprints at maximum speed during the game and a shot putter relies on great strength to throw the ball a long distance.” “Unfortunately, there is a huge disconnect between having a low body fat and having a low body with a six pack to be healthy and perform well in sports.”
Athletes in strength-based sports often have large body frames because their discipline demands high muscle mass and strength. Their larger bodies often help them generate more strength, power and stability, which is essential for performance, Matundkar explains. “Their physical condition, endurance training, and performance capacity often exceed that of the average individual. Judging fitness based on body size would be wrong. In sports medicine, functional performance, strength, endurance, and physiological flexibility are more relevant indicators than just body shape,” Pathak adds.
Reframe your perception of fit
There is an urgent need to rethink our approach and interpretation of what it really means to be fit. In real life, getting a flat tummy and a six-pack is easier than keeping them. Our body, including the midriff, and the way it is constantly changing depends on how much and what we eat and drink, how we sleep, work and exercise. While looking fit is certainly a sign of a healthy lifestyle, it shouldn’t become an obsession, Matundkar suggests. Sivakumar feels that instead of celebrating weight loss, we should start chasing performance goals like doing a maximum pull-up, running 5 km in 25 minutes or walking pain-free and building functional strength.
For Pathak, the urgent issue here is the growing need to shift the conversation from appearance fitness to health-promoting fitness. “The emphasis should be on sustainable lifestyles such as regular physical activity, balanced nutrition, adequate sleep and long-term metabolic health. At the same time, conditions like obesity should be recognized and treated for what it really is, which is not just a cosmetic or lifestyle issue, but a chronic disease.” Pathak believes that greater awareness through public health education and media responsibilities can help people move away from superficial body image standards and focus on true health and functional wellness.
In addition, occasional lifestyle habits such as weekend drinking may not negate overall fitness if balanced with regular physical activity and responsible dietary habits. The big picture of sustainable healthy behavior remains key. So, don’t be surprised if Hetmyer pulls off a few more impressive feats of fielding and power-hitting during the IPL while enjoying a good time on his days off.
Shrinik Olani is a writer and editor and co-author of The Shifty Way, a book about active fitness.
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