Overweight teenagers likely to die prematurely

People who were obese at the age of 18 are twice as likely to die prematurely compared with those who were normal-weight teenagers. Researchers from Sweden studied 45,920 teenagers to investigate the combined effects on adult mortality of overweight and smoking in late adolescence. The data regarding their body mass index (BMI) and smoking was collected. It was found that men who had been overweight at 18 years of age were one third more likely to die prematurely compared to their normal-weight peers. For the 2897 subjects who died during the follow-up of 38 years, the incidence of death was highest among the obese. Heavy smokers, considered those who puff on 10 or more cigarettes daily, were twice as likely to have died prematurely compared to non-smokers. The researchers concluded that regardless of the smoking status, overweight and obesity in late adolescence increases the risk of adult mortality. Obesity and overweight were as hazardous as heavy and light smoking, but there was interaction between BMI and smoking status. About 400 million people around the world are classified as obese by the World Health Organization including 20 million children under the age of 5. The obesity pandemic seems to affect children and adolescents more than adults. The global obesity epidemic and smoking among adolescents remain important targets for intensified public health initiatives.

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