In a study that spanned 20 years, researchers find that in the long run, obese individuals will become unhealthy and at risk of diseases. - Shutterstock
People who are obese may appear healthy for a while but their condition declines over time, says a study that followed more than 2,500 people for 20 years.
The research by scientists at University College London is the longest of its kind, and its findings support previous research that has shown people who are overweight face a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and some kinds of cancer than thin people as the years go on.
For the purposes of the research, “healthy obesity” was defined as not having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or other metabolic risk factors.
A total of 2,521 men and women between the ages of 39 and 62 were followed for the study that measured their body mass index, cholesterol, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and insulin resistance.
A total of 181 participants were initially classified as obese, including 66 who were considered “healthy obese.”
By the time the two decades had passed, just over half of the healthy obese people had become unhealthy obese.
Only 11% of those who were obese at the start of the study lost pounds and reached normal weight.
“A core assumption of healthy obesity has been that it is stable over time, but we can now see that healthy obese adults tend to become unhealthy obese in the long term, with about half making this transition over 20 years in our study,” says lead study author Joshua Bell.
“Healthy obesity is a high-risk state with serious implications for disease risk.”
Nearly 36% of adults in the US are obese, and nearly 25% of adults in Britain are obese, according to estimates from government health authorities.
In Malaysia, a study last year found that 45.3% of the population is obese.
“Healthy obesity is only valid if it is stable over time, and our results indicate that it is often just a phase,” adds Bell.
The research was published in the Journal Of The American College of Cardiology. – AFP Relax
news
Published in the www.thestar.com.my on Thursday, January 15, 2015
The research by scientists at University College London is the longest of its kind, and its findings support previous research that has shown people who are overweight face a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and some kinds of cancer than thin people as the years go on.
As the years progress, researchers found that obesity will diminish health and cause serious disease risks. – AFP
For the purposes of the research, “healthy obesity” was defined as not having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or other metabolic risk factors.
A total of 2,521 men and women between the ages of 39 and 62 were followed for the study that measured their body mass index, cholesterol, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and insulin resistance.
A total of 181 participants were initially classified as obese, including 66 who were considered “healthy obese.”
By the time the two decades had passed, just over half of the healthy obese people had become unhealthy obese.
Only 11% of those who were obese at the start of the study lost pounds and reached normal weight.
“A core assumption of healthy obesity has been that it is stable over time, but we can now see that healthy obese adults tend to become unhealthy obese in the long term, with about half making this transition over 20 years in our study,” says lead study author Joshua Bell.
“Healthy obesity is a high-risk state with serious implications for disease risk.”
Nearly 36% of adults in the US are obese, and nearly 25% of adults in Britain are obese, according to estimates from government health authorities.
In Malaysia, a study last year found that 45.3% of the population is obese.
“Healthy obesity is only valid if it is stable over time, and our results indicate that it is often just a phase,” adds Bell.
The research was published in the Journal Of The American College of Cardiology. – AFP Relax
news
Published in the www.thestar.com.my on Thursday, January 15, 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment