You may have heard that having a pet can improve your mood, decrease your risk for depression and lower your level of stress. Now there’s research that having a dog could help you get fit and improve your overall health.

A recent study presented at this year’s annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine suggested that people who walked a dog on a regular basis sat less during the day, had a lower body mass index (BMI), smoked less, had fewer chronic illnesses, and were less depressed. Like having a workout buddy who motivates you to get (and keep) moving, having a dog encourages you to take more frequent walks. And as we all know, walking is a great form of exercise, and walking for a total of just 30 each day (or three 10-minute walks with Fido) can have a positive effect on your health and well-being.

If you’ve considered getting a new pet, you might want to think about making it a dog. Turns out man’s best friend is also a great workout partner.

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."

According to a recent article at Medical News Today, a study published in the Journal of Obesity is causing concern in the medical and research arenas. The study “concluded that overweight and obese people experience no adverse health effects until they turn 40, and that between the ages of 25 and 70 there is little difference in the health of normal compared with overweight people.”

The findings of this study clearly contradict much of the evidence that has come before it, which generally links obesity with chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer. While there are certainly cases of overweight and obese people who do not develop chronic illnesses and live a relatively healthy life, past research strongly suggests that being obese or overweight is a serious risk factor for developing chronic health problems at some point in one’s life.

It might be nice to believe that we can eat as much as we like and exercise as little as we choose and still live a healthy, happy life. But the overwhelming evidence just doesn’t indicate that this is the case. And one study that suggests it might be won’t change what so many studies before it point to: being overweight is bad for your health.

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."