Study: Obesity is less damaging to health than previously thought

Obesity may not cut your life short after all, a new study suggests. 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 virtually 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. 

    Not only that, but having a body mass index (BMI) of 27, which is considered overweight, was linked to having the lowest risk of death from all causes, the study authors said. But both the Danish researchers and U.S. experts noted that longer life might not be better life, particularly if an obese or overweight person is struggling with chronic disease. 

    The analysis stacked BMI data against all-cause death statistics among three groups of Danes: 14,000 enrolled in a heart study during the mid-1970s; 9,500 enrolled in the same study in the early 1990s; and more than 97,000 who were enrolled in a lifestyle study between 2003 and 2013.

    Today's weight classifications peg normal weight as having a BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9. Those with a BMI of between 25 and 29.9 are considered overweight, while anyone with a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. BMI is a measurement based on height and weight.

Source: QNA