Overweight people live longest
BMJ 2013; 346 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f75 (Published 09 January 2013) Cite this as: BMJ 2013;346:f75
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Moderately elevated BMI obviously does not cause people to live slightly longer than "normal" people and definitely should not prompt us to reconsider the definition of medical normalcy with respect to all-case mortality.
Rather, the result should help us reason about the multiple factors of all-case mortality.
Moderately obese people do not manage their risks better than "normal" people. They just are not as capable of taking risks as "normal" people. They don't surf, they rarely skydive, ski, run, rock climb etc. This plain factor is missing in many popular news and press reports about the results of the study.
Biomedical research should stop producing one-factor superficially scientific fashionable news. Yesterday it was "salt", then "sugar", then "fat" and "free radicals". Now this fascinating and, frankly, useless study of "BMI vs mortality".
Competing interests: No competing interests
Re: Overweight people live longest
"They just are not as capable of taking risks as "normal" people. They don't surf, they rarely skydive, ski, run, rock climb etc. "
Well ... for many years I did the gym, ran, swum. Then I got bored (actually I got a dog - "Pike" the labradoodle). Last time I checked, my BMI was over the magic "30".
BUT...I can surf (just), I can ski (I am not bad) and I even also manage my risk by riding a motor bike from time to time. I am also told I am a very good cook. I am very happy.
Perhaps Dr Glukhov should come around for dinner?
Competing interests: No competing interests