# Which Person Is Healthier?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-person-is-healthier/137232>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 18, 2002, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-person-is-healthier/137232 "2002-11-18T01:10:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jason1234567892001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Jason1234567892001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jason1234567892001)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-person-is-healthier/137232/1 "2002-11-18T01:10:13Z")

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Which person is healthier? The person who is normal wieght and has ate junk food all his life, or the person who is 50 pounds overwieght and has ate healty food all his life? They both have exercised the same amount of time and intensity they’re whole life.

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**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-person-is-healthier/137232/2 "2002-11-18T01:23:49Z")

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Healthy is as healthy does. It’s impossible to know – though inaccurate guesses can be made – the status of anyone’s health from their weight, their eating or exercise habits.

The overweight person could have a variety of genetic issues which have attributed to his weight. The thin person could as well. Who is to say if the thin person is hyperthyroid or if the overweight person has insulin resistant type II diabetes?

Long story short – making generalizations about someone’s health based upon non-medical observations is pretty meaningless. That’s why we have doctors.

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**Author:** ![Pythagras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/45deac/32.png) [@Pythagras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythagras)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-person-is-healthier/137232/3 "2002-11-18T01:24:41Z")

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Probably 50 pounds overweight. That seems to be his natural weight. I know some skinny guys who eat junk food. Just because theyre skinny doesnt mean theyre healthy.

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**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-person-is-healthier/137232/4 "2002-11-18T03:10:55Z")

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That no one bit on your [last iteration of this question](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=144207) is not a license to open thread after thread until someone responds.

This thread is closed. Do not open a new thread on this topic.

In fact, you seen to open a lot of weight-related threads, with no discernible rhyme or reason. Rather than clogging this forum, email me with what you’re _really_ shooting for, and perhaps we can help.