The Obesity Paradox refers to the observations that overweight and moderately obese individuals with certain chronic diseases often live longer and have better outcomes than normal-weight individuals with the same diseases. As increasing Body Mass Index (BMI) is plotted over measures of health and outcomes, the Obesity Paradox suggests better health is described by a “U” shaped curve rather than a linear line. Those who are at the ends of the “U” curve, underweight (BMI < 18.5) or extremely obese (BMI > 40), tend to fare the worst. Those in the center of the “U” curve, particularly overweight (BMI 25-30), tend to have the best outcomes for overcoming disease and mortality, especially as they age and maintain good activity levels and fitness. This contradicts the message we often hear in the media that increasing weight gain is associated with increasing poor health such as heart disease and diabetes (linear relationship) – the more obese we become the more likely we to acquire these diseases. Interestingly, fitness may trump BMI, suggesting that just exercising moderately regardless of your weight (even if you maintain current weight) will provide more health benefits than losing weight alone. A few years ago, Mercedes Carnethon, a diabetes researcher at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, found herself pondering a conundrum. Obesity is the primary risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, yet sizable numbers of normal-weight people also develop the disease. Why? Link: nytimes/2012/09/18/health/research/more-data-suggests-fitness-matters-more-than-weight.html
Posted on: Sat, 17 May 2014 14:47:04 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015