A new study published in the journal PLOS ONE suggests that individuals classified as overweight, but not obese, do not face a higher risk of death.
The findings highlight the limitations of the Body Mass Index (BMI), a commonly used metric in the medical field.
With populations around the globe, both in rich and poor countries, becoming heavier, over 70% of adults in the United States are now classified as either overweight or obese.
The BMI, first described by a Belgian mathematician in the 19th century, calculates a person’s weight divided by the square of their height, but is increasingly seen as an imprecise tool for gauging individual health.
Study Findings
The lead author of the study, Aayush Visaria from Rutgers University, argued that BMI by itself is not a reliable health indicator.
Other metrics, such as waist circumference or scans that visualize bone density, body fat, and muscle mass, should be used alongside BMI for a more comprehensive interpretation of health, as excess fat still increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Visaria and his co-author Soko Setoguchi analyzed data from over 550,000 American adults from the 1999-2018 National Health Interview Survey and the 2019 US National Death Index.
They adjusted for variables such as demographics, socio-behavioral factors, underlying health conditions, and access to healthcare.
The results showed that people with a BMI between 25 and 30, classified as overweight, did not face an increased risk of death compared to those with a BMI between 22.5 and 24.9.
However, a higher mortality risk was noted among those with a BMI under 20 and those with a BMI of 30 or above, classified as obese.
Obesity and Mortality Risk
For instance, a non-smoking person with “third degree” obesity (a BMI of 40 or above) with no history of cardiovascular disease or non-skin cancer was over twice as likely to die compared to an equivalent counterpart with an average BMI.
George Savva, a biostatistician at the Quadram Institute in the United Kingdom, commended the study for its large representative sample and thorough analysis.
He also suggested that improvements in managing diseases associated with higher weight, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, might alter the relationship between weight and death over time.
If you care about weight management, please read studies about diets that could boost your gut health and weight loss and 10 small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain.
For more information about obesity, please see recent studies about low-carb keto diets that could manage obesity effectively and results showing popular weight loss diets linked to heart disease and cancer.
The study was published in PLOS ONE. Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
