Being overweight associated with premature deaths

In an alarming revelation, a new study has found that being overweight or obese is associated with increased risk of premature deaths, with greatest effect of this link seen in men.

According to the study, involving 3.9 million adults, published in the Lancet, excess risk of premature death ( before age 70) among those who are overweight is about three times as great in men as in women. In the study, it was seen that risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease and cancer are all increased for the obese. In two of the settings in India, where the study was carried, the mean age of death among men was found to be 65- 67 years.

WHO estimates that 1.3 billion adults worldwide are overweight, and that a further 600 million are

Involving 3.9 million adults excess risk of premature death ( before age 70) among those who are overweight is about three times as great in men as in women

obese. The prevalence of adult obesity is 20 per cent in Europe and 31 per cent in North America.

“On average, overweight people lose about one year of life expectancy, and moderately obese people lose about three years of life expectancy,” says the lead author, Dr Emanuele Di Angelantonio from the University of Cambridge in the UK. “We also found that obese men were at much higher risk of premature death than obese women.

This is consistent with previous observations that obese men have greater insulin resistance, liver fat levels, and diabetes risk than women,” he added.

The study found an increased risk of premature death for people who were underweight, as well as for people classed as overweight.

The risk increased steadily and steeply as BMI increased. A similar trend was seen in many parts of the world and for all four main causes of death.