Two studies, an American one and a British one, undermined the controversial ‘obesity paradox’ theory that overweight may be a benefit to heart health. According to the studies, overweight brings no health benefits.
The UK study linked overweight to increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases
The UK study, which has been recently published in the journal European Heart, concentrated on the medical records of approximately 297,000 adults.
Researchers at the University of Glasgow have shown a link between overweight, measured by BMI (body mass index) and the circumference of the waist, and the risk of cardiovascular disease.
British researchers have observed that those who have a BMI between 22 and 23 are not at risk of developing cardiovascular illnesses. On the other hand, a BMI above these limits increases the risks. Even more, it appears that women with higher BMI are much more at risk of developing heart diseases in comparison with men with higher BMI.
The American study reached the same conclusions
Published in late February in JAMA Cardiology, this study also correlated the overweight of more than 190,000 people with their cardiovascular diseases.
“Compared to individuals with normal BMI (defined as between 18.5 and 24.9), the risk of cardiovascular conditions was higher in middle-aged overweight or obese adults,” the researchers wrote.
The ‘obesity paradox’, debunked
A controversial older study, on the other hand, found that obesity could be associated with a longer lifespan in elderly populations.
The explanation of the observations made by the proponents of the so-called ‘obesity paradox’ could come, according to the British authors, from the risk factors the obese people have neglected, such as smoking.
For example, smokers are usually having a normal weight because smoking suppresses the appetite, thus, overweight and obese people are unlikely to smoke. Besides, normal weight people can present undiagnosed diseases, “which can often make them lose weight but also increase the likelihood to die prematurely,” according to the British researchers.
In conclusion, overweight brings no health benefits, according to 2 new studies which have debunked the ‘obesity paradox’ presented in various other studies.
