healthy BMI is best

CarvedTones
CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
edited November 27 in Health and Weight Loss
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/overweight-obesity-mortality-risk/

I posted this in another thread but it was as it was trailing off. I keep seeing the older, smaller Canadian study referenced to say that overweight is better. the more recent much much larger study says otherwise. I think a big flaw in the Canadian study was using the whole range for healthy. The people at the low end of healthy probably dragged down the average. The study I referenced above uses smaller ranges to zero in on what is optimum.

[excerpt]
For the new study, consortium researchers looked at data from more than 10.6 million participants from 239 large studies, conducted between 1970 and 2015, in 32 countries. A combined 1.6 million deaths were recorded across these studies, in which participants were followed for an average of 14 years. For the primary analyses, to address potential biases caused by smoking and preexisting diseases, the researchers excluded participants who were current or former smokers, those who had chronic diseases at the beginning of the study, and any who died in the first five years of follow-up, so that the group they analyzed included 4 million adults. They looked at participants’ body mass index (BMI)—an indicator of body fat calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared (kg/m2).

The results showed that participants with BMI of 22.5-<25 kg/m2 (considered a healthy weight range) had the lowest mortality risk during the time they were followed. The risk of mortality increased significantly throughout the overweight range: a BMI of 25-<27.5 kg/m2 was associated with a 7% higher risk of mortality; a BMI of 27.5-<30 kg/m2 was associated with a 20% higher risk; a BMI of 30.0-<35.0 kg/m2 was associated with a 45% higher risk; a BMI of 35.0-<40.0 kg/m2 was associated with a 94% higher risk; and a BMI of 40.0-<60.0 kg/m2 was associated with a nearly three-fold risk. Every 5 units higher BMI above 25 kg/m2 was associated with about 31% higher risk of premature death. Participants who were underweight also had a higher mortality risk.

Replies

  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,304 Member
    I find it interesting because there were a number of studies they included 25 to 27.5 in the good range, but which also included former smokers
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    We like it when the data is, "good" and don't when it's not.

    I was in denial when I weighed 196, my BMI was 29, I wore size 40 pants and I was borderline (no, actually) obese.

    Like it a lot more now that I weigh 154 (based, on the trend) and my BMI is 23.1. Also helps that I now have 8 3% BF and visible abs and lots of other muscular definition.

    Big diff and I didn't need the BMI scale to help me discern the difference ;)
This discussion has been closed.