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Increased risk of death associated with being obese
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Dec. 20, 2010
A body mass index between 20 and 24.9 is associated with the lowest risk of death in healthy, nonsmoking adults, according to a National Institutes of Health study published in the Dec. 2 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.
Researchers analyzed data from 19 long-term studies that included nearly 1.5 million white adults, age 19 to 84. The study found that healthy women who never smoked and had a BMI of 30 to 34.9 had a 1.44 greater risk of dying than those whose levels were between 22.5 and 24.9. The risk of death was 1.88 greater among women with a BMI of 35 to 39.9. The risk was similar for men, according to the study (link).
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/12/20/prbf1220.htm.