Re: Jogging Can Cure Obesity - Yes it can

I'm a huge proponent in support of jogging for health but I'd never ever suggest it to anyone who is obese.  First thing that's going to happen is the knees are going to go out and then they won't have legs good enough to support their jogging.  I've seen it happen to others who are overweight.  I was a jogger for many years and never more than 8 to 10 pounds overweight but most of the time had a BMI under 25 - and my knees went out.  When a person is obese the very best thing they can do for exercise is walking and build it up until they can maintain a rather fast pace doing just that.  If they don't get beyond walking they can be assured that what they are doing is just as beneficial as running.  There are heart rate goals all over the Internet that are based on height, weight, and age and that should be a goal whether it is walking or running.  If you push yourself too fast too soon you are asking for a heart attack.  (The "father" of the current running phenomenon was Jim Fixx who died of a heart attack while jogging and he was very slender and ran 10 to 12 miles daily.)  The really best advice you can get if just starting out to walk or run is from your local general practitioner - or from an orthopedic doctor.  I found an orthopedic doctor who is a marathoner and he did his best to keep me running but was the one who eventually installed two Oxford knees into me.

Just getting off one's butt is often difficult to do and many obese folks have difficulty being motivated so I vote for walking before jogging.