A New Workout Program Hopes to Show That You Can Be "Fat and Fit"

At a time when many people vow to finally lose weight in the new year, a workout DVD program hopes to change everyone's perception on "fatness." Louise Green, a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor, created her Body Exchange workout program in order to help anyone start a fitness routine as well as show that you can be "fat and fit." She explains in the DVD's promotional video, above, "It's not about weight. It's about cardiovascular health, it's about muscular endurance, it's about bone density. . . . You can be an athlete at any size."

Louise has science to back her up. Recent studies have shown that yes, it is possible to be overweight and healthy. A 2011 study of 8,000 people who qualified as obese according to the BMI scale found that 20 percent of them were "pretty healthy," meaning they had little to no health complications due to their weight. That and other studies showing that being slightly overweight may actually be good for you help turn the focus away from the scale and toward other measurements that indicate health, like blood pressure readings, your VO2 max, or muscle mass.

Louise's workout program isn't just for the already fit; she also includes modifications for those who have limited strength and mobility. Begin with moves you can do on a chair, then work your way up to standing and holding weights — no matter how small you start, it's about making a healthier change. Watch the video to learn more about Louise's "fat and fit" campaign.