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Even moderate obesity not a death risk factor

30/01/2010 15:45:00 admin

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An Australian study reported yesterday on foodconsumer.org suggests that elderly people being overweight were less likely to die for a period of 10 years than those who were obese or had normal body weight.

The study published Jan 28 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society has many limitations, indicating that the study results may not be applicable to a general population because for one thing many people dead or having conditions were excluded.

This study is not alone suggesting that being overweight does not raise death risk among elderly people even though there was no reporting of its effect on other health conditions.

One study led recently by Mehta N. K and change V W. from the University of Michigan School of Public Health found being overweight or even moderate obese did not increase death risk in middle-aged adults.

Mehta and Change looked at data from participants in the Health and Retirement Study conducted between 1992 and 2004 and found men and women being obese with a body mass index of greater than 35.0 kg/m2 were 62 percent and 40 percent more likely than those with a normal body mass index between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2, respectively.

However, those being moderately obese with a BMI between 30.00 and 34.9 kg/m2 or being overweight with a BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 kg/m2 were not at excess death risk compared to those with a normal BMI, according to the researchers.

Morbid obesity defined as having a BMI greater than 35.0 kg/m2 was found responsible for 4 percent of deaths among women and 3 percent of deaths among men.

Obesity is often considered as risky as cigarette smoking as a source of avoidable mortality. But the study found smoking was responsible for 36 percent of deaths among women and 50 percent in men.

The study results appear in the Nov 2009 issue of Demography.

By David Liu

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Comments (1 posted):

Kellie Glass RD, LD on 03/02/2010 22:58:38

These studies can be so misleading. Being overweight or mildly obese does create a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, degenerative joint disease, depression, and the list goes on and on. I think it's better to lead an overall healthy lifestyle which includes making healthy choices in 4 main areas (nutrition, exercise, stress management and sleep) and then let the chips fall where they may. You'll feel better every day and have an improved quality of life if you don't have that extra weight to carry around. For more information, see my book, "How To Eat Fried Chicken and Be Thin Too" on Amazon or at strategicbookpublishing.com