Physicians, Scientists and Other Health Care Professionals charged into the emotional fires which were initiated when the prestigious Centers for Disease Control stated being overweight was good for your health. Americans have been bombarded with fears that the increasing rates of obesity or overweight raised the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including the following:
• Hypertension
• Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Coronary heart disease
• Stroke
• Gallbladder disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
• Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
Even one’s self esteem and happiness has been related to how much you weighed.
To understand these controversial findings, one must first understand the Body Mass Index (BMI). The Body Mass Index is a calculation using your height versus weight to determine your over-all health status. Researchers were convinced, after looking at the statistics that if one’s BMI was between 18.5 and 24.5, your risk of certain diseases was lower, and your risk of dying young decreased. Those whose BMI were lower than 18.5, or over weight (BMI greater than 25, but less than 30) or obese (BMI 30 or higher) were placing their health at risk or increasing their chances of dying before their time. For instance, a person who is 5’7’’ has a ‘healthy’ BMI if their weight is between 118 and 159. At a weight of 160 to 190, this person would be overweight, and beyond that, would be obese.
One can look at the following web site to calculate your BMI. http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/adult_BMI/english_bmi_calculator/results_overweight.htm?pounds=190&inches=67
The latest findings continue to affirm that being obese is never good for your health. However, being overweight seems to help when you have been diagnosed with emphysema, pneumonia, other infectious processes, or have had an injury. Is Grandma’s admonition to put a little weight on your body meaningful and true? Maybe you can be fat and fit?
One thing we can all be sure of: we have not heard the last word on weight. Already, experts in the field are stating that the CDC only looks at death rates, but not health issues. Perhaps people are being managed better with medications? Or perhaps, as some have been saying for years, the BMI is no longer relevant, and we should switch to the tape measure for hips versus waist ratios? Or perhaps we need to focus on the truly obese, while acknowledging the ‘at-risk’ factor for those who are over-weight?
One thing all experts agree on is that obesity is never good. Obesity will kill you, regardless of your age. Fat kids are at risk as much as fat adults. Being over-weight may be another matter. Stay tune for further information on being slightly overweight.
Sources
Centers for Disease Control, 2007
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/adult_BMI/english_bmi_calculator/results_overweight.htm?pounds=190&inches=67
Flegal, K. et al: Cause-Specific Excess Deaths Associated With Underweight, Overweight, and Obesity
JAMA. 2007;298(17):2028-2037.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/298/17/2028
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