Obesity may reduce life expectancy

By April Clarkson, April 18th, 2013 | Health | 0 Comments

Being obese can reduce lifespan by several years, especially in the younger age groups.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in the US have looked at national data to assess the impact of overweight and obesity on life expectancy. They calculated years of life lost (YLL) for a range of age groups, and for black and white men and women. They find the maximum YLL is 13, for white men aged between 20 to 30 years who have a body mass index (BMI) of more than 45 - a severe level of obesity. Their female equivalents have a YLL measure of eight years.

However, black men and women aged 60 or over had a significant YLL only when obesity was very severe - moderate obesity or overweight had no effect on lifespan. The lowest YLL was at a BMI of 23 to 25 for whites, and 23 to 30 for blacks.

It’s to be hoped that the prospect of dying prematurely might do something to stop the rising tide of obesity in the USA. Otherwise, the up and coming generation may find they have a lower life expectancy than their parents - reversing much of the progress in health over the last century.