Obesity increasing death risk a myth?

The obese tag may no longer be linked to early death. It was found the that compared to people with a normal weight, people who were overweight or obese had no increased risk of death. Although people who were morbidly obese and suffering from diabetes and hypertension did have a higher risk. This finding challenged previous studies stating that short term mortality was directly linked with obesity.

"There is currently a widespread belief that any degree of overweight or obesity increases the risk of death. However, our findings suggest this may not be the case. In the six-year time frame of our evaluation, we found that only severe obesity was associated with an increased risk of death, due to co-occurring diabetes and hypertension," said Jerant

He used nationwide data from the year 2000 to 2005 of nearly 51,000 adults, aged 18 to 90 who participated in the 'Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys'. The surveys include information on health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.

Source: IANS