Association Between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Metabolic Risk Factors in a Population With Mild to Severe Obesity

High cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is associated with favorable health outcomes, independent of BMI, however it is unknown if this still applies to individuals with moderate to severe obesity. Patients from the Wharton Medical Clinic were categorized as mild or moderate/severe obesity and fit or unfit. High CRF was associated with a lower risk of low HDL cholesterol for only those with mild obesity. Conversely, high CRF was associated with a lower risk for elevated blood pressure for only the moderate/severe obesity group. However, high CRF was associated with a lower risk for elevated waist circumference for both obesity groups. There was no difference in the risk of elevated fasting glucose or triglycerides for any of the obesity or CRF groups. Generally, the beneficial effect of having a high CRF was similar in the moderate/severe obesity group compared to the mild obesity group.