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The study also shows that some people with normal weight are more likely to die than in the excess weight category. Those who are underweight or the bottom of the healthy spectrum face higher health risks. But it can only be… reverse causality.
It is possible to be “but healthy”Suggests a study conducted by Danish investigators, which will be presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting in Vienna, Austria, from September 15 to 19.
The study allowed to conclude that being slightly overweight – or even with light obesity – may not reduce life expectancy, while who is below weight or lower limit of the “normal” weight faces greater risks.
CORDO with the results of the study, individuals with a body mass index (BMI) in the category of overweight, and even some who live with obesity, They were not more likely to die During the five years of follow -up, compared to those who have an BMI of 22.5 to 25.0 kg/m², which corresponds to the upper limit of the normal weight interval.
Individuals with BMI in the middle and lower part of the normal weight interval (18.5 to 22.5 kg/m²) also had more likely to dielike those classified as underweight.
“Both low weight and obesity are great health challenges globally,” says Sigrid Bjerge Gribsholtresearcher at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark and the main author of the study.
“Obesity can change body metabolismweaken the immune system and lead to diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and up to 15 types of cancer, while Low weight is associated with malnutritiondebilitated immunity and nutritional deficits.
“They exist contradictory results on the IMC interval associated with lower mortality. Before it was thought that it would be 20 to 25, but it may be moving to higher values over time Due to medical advances and improvements in overall health, ”explains Gribsholt, quoted by.
O is a weight measurement in relation to heightbeing considered normal when it is between 18.5 and 25 kg/m². An IMC less than 18.5 kg/m² is classified as low weight, 25 to 30 kg/m² as overweight and an BMI greater than 30 kg/m² corresponds to obesity.
During the period in which the study took place, which accompanied 87,761 individuals, 7,555 participants (8%) died.
The analysis revealed that underweight individuals had almost three times more Probability (2.73 times) to die than those with BMI close to the upper limit of the healthy interval (22.5 to 25.0 kg/m², reference population).
Similarly, individuals with IMC of 40 kg/m² or higher (severe obesity) had More than double the probability (2.1 times) to die compared to the reference population.
However, Higher mortality rates were also observed in IMCs considered healthy. All results were adjusted for sex, level of comoribility and education level.
The investigators were surprised to find that the BMI was not associated with the highest mortality up to 35 kg/m² and even a 35 to 40 kg/m² BMI was only slightly associated with increased risk.
“One possible explanation for the results is the inverse causality: Some people may lose weight due to an underlying disease. In these cases, it is the disease, not the low weight itself, which increases the risk of death, which may give the impression that having a higher IMC is protective, ”says Gribsholt.
“How our data come from people who performed tests for health reasons, We cannot completely rule out this hypothesis“He concludes.
“It is also possible that people with higher IMC who live longer (most participants were elderly) have certain protective characteristics that influence the results,” says the researcher.
“Even so, in line with previous investigations, we found that people below weight face a much higher risk of death”Concludes Gribsholt.
