Can you be fat and fit? Over the last few years, there were studies claiming that this was possible. But research from Mt. Sinai Hospital shows that excess weight still carries health risks, including the risk of premature death, even when cholesterol, blood pressure and sugar levels are normal.

The work published in Annals of Internal Medicine, looked at findings from published studies tracking heart health and weight in more than 60,000 adults. The scientists found that people who were obese but metabolically healthy had a significantly increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke and of dying prematurely. They figure that even when those people appear healthy, they probably have underlying risk factors that worsen over time.

The bottom line, according to this research, the notion that someone can be obese yet still healthy is a myth.