I will discuss two publications, where researchers showed that many diseases and premature deaths come from excessive weight.
How much does what we weigh influence our life expectancy? This is exactly what researchers asked themselves in a study from 2017. It was based on four European cohort studies in England, Finland, France and Sweden.
Normal weight men live 9 years longer, women 7 years longer than obese individuals
They found that women with class II obesity (BMI of > 35.0 kg m−2) lived 7 years shorter than normal weight women. Men lived 9 years longer when they were of normal weight compared to class II obese men. The patients in this study were between 50 and 75 years old. The reason for these significant reductions in mortality rates in obese people are due to a change in metabolism. This has the name ‘metabolic syndrome’. “Metabolic syndrome is also associated with an increase in premature deaths. Previous studies have indicated that individuals with metabolic syndrome were three times more likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack and two times more likely to die from these conditions compared with individuals without metabolic syndrome. “
A recent April 2024 study
This is a metaanalysis of 82 studies involving 2.7 million patients and 23.4 million patient years. The question that the researchers posed was how mortality is dependent on obesity.
The result of this study showed that the mortality risk with respect to the body mass index followed a U-type curve. A body mass index of less than 25 and higher than 35 shower significantly higher mortality. The lowest mortality was between a BMI of 25 and 30.0. This is documented in figure 2 of this publication:
Diseases linked to excessive weight
Many research articles have noticed that being overweight or obese impacts your health significantly. You are not only carrying extra fat, but at the same time your metabolism is changing. The end result are serious health consequences like cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke), type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, and some cancers (endometrial, breast and colon).
Many Diseases and Premature Deaths Come from Excessive Weight
Conclusion
Obesity above a body mass index of more than 35 carries a risk of heart attacks, strokes, osteoarthritis, and certain cancers. But one study found that mortality also increases with a body mass index of less than 20. The lowest mortality was with a body mass index of between 25 and 30. This is 5 points above what conventional medicine was teaching. In the past researchers thought the ideal body mass was between 20 and 25. The 2024 study reviewed above clearly shows optimal survival with a body mass index of 25 to 30.
