Think You're Trim Enough? Think Again

[Guest guest]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6432-2001Jul16.html

 

Think You're Trim Enough? Think Again

A New Study Finds Significant Health Risks Even for Those Who Are Not Quite

Overweight

Tuesday, July 17, 2001; Page HE05

 

A body weight widely considered a healthy target by federal officials may still

carry considerable health risks, a new

study by Harvard researchers shows.

 

Since 1998, a body mass index of 18.5 to 24.9 has been considered a healthy

target. But according to the study, people

in the higher range of healthy weight -- those with a body mass index of 22 to

24.9 (or about 130 to 145 pounds for

someone 5 feet 5 inches tall, and 150 to 170 for someone 5 feet 10 inches tall)

-- still face significantly increased

risks for a variety of illnesses, from diabetes to heart disease.

 

" It's quite striking, " says Alison E. Field, assistant professor of medicine at

Harvard and lead author of the study,

which appeared last week in the Archives of Internal Medicine. " It really

suggests that the health risks [of extra

weight] may have been underestimated. " The findings are drawn from two large,

longitudinal studies of more than 120,000

middle-aged female nurses and some 50,000 men who are also health professionals.

 

While the overall risk is still less than that for people who are overweight or

obese, the team of researchers noted

that women in the " high healthy " BMI range have twice the risk of diabetes as

those with an even lower BMI -- between

18.5 and 21.9. They also found a 40 percent increased risk of both gallstones

and high blood pressure and a 30 percent

greater risk of high cholesterol and colon cancer among the heavier women.

 

Men in this " high healthy " range also were more likely to have health problems:

they had a 90 percent increased risk of

colon cancer, an 80 percent higher chance of diabetes and a 50 percent increased

risk of high blood pressure.

 

Body mass index is a measure of fatness that takes into account height and

weight. A person with a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9

is considered to be in the healthy range. Those with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are

considered to be overweight; and those who

measure 30 and above qualify as obese.

 

So does this mean that Americans who by good fortune or hard work have reached a

BMI of just under 25 should try to get

slimmer still?

 

" We're not suggesting that everyone get down to a BMI of 18.5 to 21.9, although

that is the healthiest BMI to have, "

Field says. " But it's important to realize that one is not risk-free when you

reach that BMI of 25. It gives people a

false sense of security to think that as long as I am not overweight, my health

risk is very low. "

 

Doctors need to better monitor and counsel patients who are gaining weight

before they become overweight, Field says,

since losing weight is so difficult. " At the very least, holding weight steady

as you grow older would be preferable " to

adding pounds, she says.

 

-- Sally Squires

 

========================

Good Health & Long Life,

Greg Watson,

http://www.ozemail.com.au/~gowatson

gowatson

[Guest guest]

Oh give me a break. I actually like

the other stuff you posted that was

in question, but crap like this just

adds to the problems. People of all

weights are healthy and people of

all weights die. It creates a lot

of revenue for people to write articles

like this and make everyone scramble to

be thinner. We're thin enough. We're

good enough. Please don't add to the

problem by passing information like

this around. And no, I'm not fat with

a chip on my shoulders. I'm tired of

the perfectionistic standards. *Worrying*

about your BMI will kill you faster

than your BMI score itself.

 

LA

 

--- Greg Watson <gowatson wrote:

>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6432-2001Jul16.html

>

> Think You're Trim Enough? Think Again

> A New Study Finds Significant Health Risks Even for

> Those Who Are Not Quite Overweight

> Tuesday, July 17, 2001; Page HE05

>

> A body weight widely considered a healthy target by

> federal officials may still carry considerable

> health risks, a new

> study by Harvard researchers shows.

>

> Since 1998, a body mass index of 18.5 to 24.9 has

> been considered a healthy target. But according to

> the study, people

> in the higher range of healthy weight -- those with

> a body mass index of 22 to 24.9 (or about 130 to 145

> pounds for

> someone 5 feet 5 inches tall, and 150 to 170 for

> someone 5 feet 10 inches tall) -- still face

> significantly increased

> risks for a variety of illnesses, from diabetes to

> heart disease.

>

> " It's quite striking, " says Alison E. Field,

> assistant professor of medicine at Harvard and lead

> author of the study,

> which appeared last week in the Archives of Internal

> Medicine. " It really suggests that the health risks

> [of extra

> weight] may have been underestimated. " The findings

> are drawn from two large, longitudinal studies of

> more than 120,000

> middle-aged female nurses and some 50,000 men who

> are also health professionals.

>

> While the overall risk is still less than that for

> people who are overweight or obese, the team of

> researchers noted

> that women in the " high healthy " BMI range have

> twice the risk of diabetes as those with an even

> lower BMI -- between

> 18.5 and 21.9. They also found a 40 percent

> increased risk of both gallstones and high blood

> pressure and a 30 percent

> greater risk of high cholesterol and colon cancer

> among the heavier women.

>

> Men in this " high healthy " range also were more

> likely to have health problems: they had a 90

> percent increased risk of

> colon cancer, an 80 percent higher chance of

> diabetes and a 50 percent increased risk of high

> blood pressure.

>

> Body mass index is a measure of fatness that takes

> into account height and weight. A person with a BMI

> of 18.5 to 24.9

> is considered to be in the healthy range. Those with

> a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered to be overweight;

> and those who

> measure 30 and above qualify as obese.

>

> So does this mean that Americans who by good fortune

> or hard work have reached a BMI of just under 25

> should try to get

> slimmer still?

>

> " We're not suggesting that everyone get down to a

> BMI of 18.5 to 21.9, although that is the healthiest

> BMI to have, "

> Field says. " But it's important to realize that one

> is not risk-free when you reach that BMI of 25. It

> gives people a

> false sense of security to think that as long as I

> am not overweight, my health risk is very low. "

>

> Doctors need to better monitor and counsel patients

> who are gaining weight before they become

> overweight, Field says,

> since losing weight is so difficult. " At the very

> least, holding weight steady as you grow older would

> be preferable " to

> adding pounds, she says.

>

> -- Sally Squires

>

> ========================

> Good Health & Long Life,

> Greg Watson,

> http://www.ozemail.com.au/~gowatson

> gowatson

>

>

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

I guess it was the title that bothered

me the most.

 

LA

 

 

 

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