Obesity may not cut your life short after all, a
new study suggests. The findings were published May 10, 2016 in the Journal
of the American Medical Association. Danish researchers report that the
risk that an obese man or woman will die prematurely has dropped dramatically
over the last 40 years. According
to their analysis, the 30 percent greater
risk of dying early from any cause found back in the 1970s has almost
disappeared.
The researchers said that the risk of dying early
for any reason is now the same among obese individuals as it is among
normal-weight individuals. This strange finding stems from work led by Dr.
Borge Nordestgaard, a clinical professor with the Institute of Clinical
Medicine at the University of Copenhagen.
"But we don't know what is cause and what is effect.
And we only looked at the hardest endpoint, which is longevity, not quality of
life. So even if you live longer today while being overweight, you might also
be sicker. You might be alive, but with diabetes and cardiovascular disease,
and problems with knees and joints -- things we didn't look at,"
Nordestgaard explained.
"And in the U.S., of course, obesity is often
far in excess of a 27 BMI," he added. "So if you have a bad
conscience about being a little bit overweight, that you're going to die early,
maybe that's not actually the case. But our data should not be used as an
excuse to eat a lot more or to become overweight if you are not."
Lona Sandon, program director and assistant professor
in the department of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern Medical Center at
Dallas, explained further.
"I do not believe it has necessarily become
safer to have what is classified by U.S. National Institutes of Health as an
overweight BMI," she said.
"A big difference between the decades is
advances in drug treatment and other medical treatment that has helped people
live longer, with or without overweight and obesity, and associated
conditions," Sandon added.
But that does not mean being overweight has become
healthier than in the past. It simply means that "doctors can just treat
symptoms better," she cautioned.
"Whether you are optimal weight, overweight or
obese, making an effort to reach your personal best for healthy eating and
exercise is key for reducing risk of chronic disease," Sandon advised.
"Regardless of size, healthy eating and exercise behaviours help protect
our health and well-being."
From what the researchers have concluded, being
obese is definitely not the best option. What is life without a good quality of
life? I personally think we should do all we can to remain healthy, maintaining
and optimal weight is not left out.
SOURCES: Borge Nordestgaard, M.D., D.M.Sc.,
clinical professor, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen,
and chief physician, department of clinical biochemistry, Copenhagen University
Hospital, Denmark; Lona Sandon, Ph.D., RDN, LD, program director and assistant
professor, department of clinical nutrition, UT Southwestern Medical Center at
Dallas, Texas; May 10, 2016, Journal of the American Medical Association
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