Here at EBL, we’ve spent plenty of time writing about the evidence on obesity – and for good reason: millions of Americans are considered obese, which leads to diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
While obesity is proven to be dangerous, in the past some researchers thought there was a cohort of obese individuals – those without metabolic problems – that didn’t suffer from the negative health effects of obesity. Now there is new evidence on the topic.
A systematic review published this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine addressed the question of whether obesity alone leads to health problems, or if other metabolic factors must be involved. The other factors – often called “metabolic syndrome”- include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high lipids and a large waist.
For the review, researchers analyzed 8 studies, which included more than 61,000 people, to determine which factors resulted in the greatest risks for heart disease and death. They found some interesting results.
All of the obese people in the review had an increased risk for heart disease or death, even if they did not have symptoms of metabolic syndrome. For obese participants without metabolic syndrome, the risk of heart disease and death increased when they were followed for 10 or more years.
In addition, normal-weight participants who showed the symptoms of metabolic syndrome had an increased rate for heart disease and death, even though they weren’t obese.
The take-home message: obesity is a serious health threat, even if problems don’t appear initially. Eating healthy foods and exercising are important factors in maintaining health. The holidays are a particularly difficult for those struggling to lose weight. Stay turned to EBL for some practical tips about how to navigate food choices during this festive season.
I’ve always been rather perplexed when heavy people say it’s a lifestyle choice and that they feel “better fat”. No, it’s not how our bodies are designed, you need to lose weight. Heavy people consume a greater proportion of the world’s food supply than should be justifiably made available to them. I know we’re supposed to be in a free world, but shouldn’t that freedom come with the greater responsibility to have self control, generosity and some greater thought of the good of the world, rather than eating all it has to offer in one big mouthful? The fattest generations are alive and well today and it’s not just the wealthy who are fat now, but every socio-economic group of the western world has the heavier folk weighing it down. It has to stop.