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The idea that it might be possible to be overweight or obese but not at increased risk of heart disease, otherwise known as the "obesity paradox," has been challenged by a study of nearly 300,000 people published in in the European Heart Journal today (Friday).
This latest research shows that the risk of heart and blood vessel problems, such as heart attacks, strokes and high blood pressure, increases as body mass index (BMI) increases beyond a BMI of 22-23 kg/m2. Furthermore, the risk also increases steadily the more fat a person carries around their waist.
[...] Although it is already known that being overweight or obese increases a person's risk of CVD [cardiovascular disease], as well as other diseases such as cancer, there have also been studies that have suggested that, particularly in the elderly, being overweight or even obese might not have any effect on deaths from CVD or other causes, and may even be protective, especially if people maintain a reasonable level of fitness. This is known as the "obesity paradox."
However, the authors of the EHJ study say their results refute these previous, conflicting findings. "Any public misconception of a potential 'protective' effect of fat on heart and stroke risks should be challenged," said Dr Iliodromiti.
She continued: "This is the largest study that provides evidence against the obesity paradox in healthy people. It is possible that the story may be different for those with pre-existing disease because there is evidence that in cancer patients, for instance, being slightly overweight is associated with lower risk, especially as cancer and its treatments can lead to unhealthy weight loss.
[...] The researchers suggest that the previous confusion over the "obesity paradox" may be due to many factors that can confound results of studies. For instance, smoking changes the distribution of fat in the body, smokers may have lower weight as smoking depresses appetites and so BMI tends to be lower. Another reason could be that some people have existing but undiagnosed disease, which can often lower their weight but also makes them more likely to die prematurely.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Reziac on Monday March 19 2018, @04:51AM
They're looking at the wrong end of the horse.
Check thyroid first, THEN look at BMI and cardiac. Because usually the root cause of both is low thyroid (half of all fatal cardiac events are found to have low T3 syndrome). Person who is fat because of low thyroid (which can both derive from and instigate bad eating habits -- the soyboy problem is real) is likely to develop cardiac issues due to its effects on protein and calcium metabolism. Fat person with good thyroid but heavy solely due to overeating probably won't have cardiac issues, and if they change their habits, can readily shed the weight. There is a lot of data on this, tho it can't really be ethically researched in the normal way of double-blind studies (you can't deliberately do something that's known to give test subjects heart disease).
And low thyroid also causes a variety of mental problems, notably depression, bipolar, memory issues, rage-fits, and eventually, dementia (due to loss of white matter in the brain). So, yeah, I too have noticed that fat people are more likely to have unpleasant mental issues, but it's not due to their weight per se; rather, it's a concurrent symptom of the root problem.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.