The author of this article confuses athletic with healthy and fit.
There are "fat" athletes - powerlifters and shot putters - bet they are still not healthy people and they are not that fit either.
Also any sport on elite level where body is pressured to the max for the few extra milliseconds or millimeters is not healthy at all.
Getting a fat ass on a bike, wearing trendy cycling gear and entering a cycling competition is not enough to qualify as an "athlete". It's the performance that separates the unfit, the fit and the athletic.
And being fit is more healthy than being an athlete. Fitness means you are somewhat well rounded and healthy. Athletic means your body is narrowly specialized - strong in one are but also extremely vulnerable to specific injuries and progressing imbalances that eat away your health.
Being fit always includes having a low (but not anorectic low) body fat percentage.
We need to have clear terms to avoid manipulation with language:
Unfit - bad performance in most areas across the strength-endurance spectrum. Fat or skinny fat or thin with no muscle. Unhealthy.
Fit - good performance in most areas across the strength-endurance spectrum. Thin, never fat with functional and balanced musculature. Healthy.
Athletic - excellent performance in a few specialized areas across the strength-endurance spectrum. Various body shape depending on specialization often very unbalanced. Always on the edge between healthy and unhealthy.
There are "fat" athletes - powerlifters and shot putters - bet they are still not healthy people and they are not that fit either.
Also any sport on elite level where body is pressured to the max for the few extra milliseconds or millimeters is not healthy at all.
Getting a fat ass on a bike, wearing trendy cycling gear and entering a cycling competition is not enough to qualify as an "athlete". It's the performance that separates the unfit, the fit and the athletic.
And being fit is more healthy than being an athlete. Fitness means you are somewhat well rounded and healthy. Athletic means your body is narrowly specialized - strong in one are but also extremely vulnerable to specific injuries and progressing imbalances that eat away your health.
Being fit always includes having a low (but not anorectic low) body fat percentage.
We need to have clear terms to avoid manipulation with language:
Unfit - bad performance in most areas across the strength-endurance spectrum. Fat or skinny fat or thin with no muscle. Unhealthy.
Fit - good performance in most areas across the strength-endurance spectrum. Thin, never fat with functional and balanced musculature. Healthy.
Athletic - excellent performance in a few specialized areas across the strength-endurance spectrum. Various body shape depending on specialization often very unbalanced. Always on the edge between healthy and unhealthy.