There's no such thing as "healthy obesity", researchers of a new study find.
Debunking the myth of "healthy obesity", researchers of a new study state that the weight disorder is always accompanied by a higher risk of premature death, irrespective of the person's cholesterol and sugar levels.
"Our research findings challenge the myth that there is such a thing as healthy obesity if people maintain normal-range readings of cholesterol, blood glucose, and blood pressure," said co- author Dr. Ravi Retnakaran, an endocrinologist at the Leadership Sinai Diabetes Centre at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.
For the study, researchers examined data of 61,386 individuals that were part of eight separate studies conducted over the last decade. Each study included individuals defined as normal weight, overweight, and obese and examined their cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure. The study also compared fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke, as well as other causes of death, across the three weight categories.
The new study made the difference in premature deaths across all three weight groups very evident. Findings clearly revealed that an obese person with a BMI greater than 30 was at a 24 percent higher risk of dying prematurely compared to a person of normal weight.
"The finding of increased risk of death or cardiovascular events for obese individuals suggests that gaining excess weight is associated with risk that may accumulate over time, even before metabolic and cardiovascular signs become apparent in lab tests," adds Dr. Retnakaran. "This is a signal to general practitioners and family physicians to guide their obese patients to weight loss, regardless of lab tests," Dr. Retnakaran said.
Researchers noted that the key factor in premature death due to any cause, including a cardiovascular event was obesity and this finding holds true even for obese people with a "healthy" metabolic status.
Additionally, researchers also found that an increased risk is presented by poor metabolic status, regardless of weight, i.e., both overweight and obese individuals are at the same level of risk.
"Our message to physicians is that for obese individuals, normal metabolic status regarding blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose is not protective. If they can start to lose weight, that's a benefit," lead author Dr. Caroline Kramer said.
In an editorial accompanying the study, James Hill and Dr. Holly Wyatt, of the University of Colorado said the findings of the study support American Medical Association's controversial declaration that obesity is a disease, Fox News reported.
