Risk of being underweight

BEING underweight as well as overweight can shorten your life. That’s according to a new study, based on nearly 300,000 people tracked for more than 30 years, showing that the obese, overweight or underweight were more likely to die early. US researchers compared death risk with weight, taking into account factors such as age, education, smoking and alcohol use. Normal weight was defined as a body mass index, or BMI, of 18.5 to 25, and underweight at below 18.5, while overweight BMI was more than 25. Results showed the underweight and overweight had a ten per cent greater risk of dying during the three decades. Highest risk was among those with a BMI of 40 or more, who were 2.7 times more likely to die early.