Extra weight increases death risk
If you are overweight and have excess fat around your abdomen, you have a higher risk of dying than someone of normal weight.
If you are overweight and have excess fat around your abdomen, you have a higher risk of dying than someone of normal weight.
Previous studies have linked abdominal fat with a higher risk of chronic diseases. But past research had not assessed the risk of death in those who were overweight and those who were overweight with more abdominal fat. To examine the association of BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio with the risk of death, researchers from Germany identified 359,387 people and took into consideration factors like educational level,
smoking status,
alcohol consumption,
exercise schedule, and height of the participants. The researchers also monitored the weight of the participants.
During a follow-up period of almost 10 years, slightly less than 15,000 people enrolled in the study had died. It was found that those with the lowest risk of death were men with a BMI of 25 and women with a body mass index (BMI) of 24. Men with a BMI between 30 and 35 had a 24 percent increased risk of death compared to normal weight men. And women with a BMI between 30 and 35 had a 17 percent increased risk of death compared to their slimmer counterparts.
Further, when the researchers factored in abdominal fat, they found that men with the largest waist circumference had more than double the risk of death, and women with the largest waist circumference increased their risk of death by 80 percent.
The above findings indicate that a large waist circumference is related to a higher risk of death even for individuals who have the same BMI. In other words, fat accumulation in the abdominal region is even more detrimental than just having an elevated BMI level.
So, if you want to live a long and healthy life, eat right, exercise and reduce stress.
New England Journal of Medicine
November 2008
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