Washington, July 8 (IANS) Those who are overweight
need not worry - it does not necessarily carry a higher death risk, say
researchers from the University of California-Davis.
Compared to
those with normal weight, people who were overweight or obese had no
increased risk of death during a follow-up period of six years. People
who were severely obese did have a higher risk, but only if they also
had diabetes or hypertension.
The findings question previous
studies, using data collected when obesity was less common, linking
higher short-term mortality with any amount of extra weight, The Journal
of American Board of Family Medicine reports.
"There is
currently a widespread belief that any degree of overweight or obesity
increases the risk of death. However, our findings suggest this may not
be the case," said Anthony Jerant, professor of family and community
medicine at California-Davis, who led the study.
"In the six-year
time frame of our evaluation, we found that only severe obesity was
associated with an increased risk of death, due to co-occurring diabetes
and hypertension," said a California statement.
Jerant used
nationwide data from the year 2000 to 2005 of nearly 51,000 adults aged
18 to 90 who participated in the Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys on
health care utilisation and costs. The surveys include information on
health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.