Don’t lose weight over thoughts that you are a little fatter than others. Here is good news for fat people. A reputed medical journal has published the results of a study which says that “obese people who are otherwise healthy live just as long as their slim counterparts, and are less likely to die of cardiovascular causes’’.
The findings suggest that all obese individuals need not lose weight, says Jennifer Kuk, assistant professor in York’s School of Kinesiology & Health Science, Faculty of Health. Remaining at a high body weight and leading a healthy life style —-doing exercises and having healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables — is definitely more advisable than trying and failing to lose weight. The latter course may even prove detrimental, the professor says.
This was the result of a study Kuk’s team made on 6000 obese Americans over a 16-year period, appraising the mortality risk of obese individuals who had a higher body weight in their early adulthood. They were happier with their weight and had rarely attempted to lose weight. They were physically more active and had had a healthy diet, compared with others.
Researchers’ newly-developed grading tool, Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS), found to be more accurate than body mass index (BMI) for identifying who should attempt to lose weight, is modeled on staging systems that classify the extent and severity of other diseases such as cancer, mental illness and heart disease.
It offers five stages of obesity based on both traditional physical measurements such as BMI and waist-to-hip ratio, and clinical measurements that indicate medical conditions often caused or aggravated by obesity (such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease).
To decide whether or not they should lose weight, people should consult physicians and get evaluated using the EOSS criteria.
Further Reading- Docs Can Help More in Weight Loss – MedPage Today
- Pregnancy hormone promises quick weight loss; shots unproven – Los Angeles Times
- Slash stress and lose excess weight, too – Chicago Sun-Times
- Obesity Alone Raises Risk of Fatal Heart Attack, Study Finds – BusinessWeek
- Obesity alone raises risk of fatal heart attack, study finds – USA Today
- Want to lose weight? Get out of depression – Times of India
- Mother’s diet ‘can make kids fat’ – BBC News
- Study: People More Likely to Admit Weight Problem If Doctor Addresses Issue – Fox News
- Genetically Altered Foods Are ‘Growing’, Literally – Daily Health Report
- Too few docs tell patients they’re overweight – CNN
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