FinallyRetired
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2002
- Messages
- 1,322
“I believe the data,” said Dr. Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, a professor of family and preventive medicine at the University of California, San Diego. A body mass index of 25 to 30, the so-called overweight range, “may be optimal,” she said.
Others said there were plenty of reasons that being overweight was not desirable.
“Health extends far beyond mortality rates,” said Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Dr. Manson added that other studies, including ones at Harvard, found that being obese or overweight increased a person’s risk for any of a number of diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and several forms of cancer. And, she added, excess weight makes it more difficult to move about and impairs the quality of life.
“That’s the big picture in terms of health outcomes,” Dr. Manson said. “That’s what the public needs to look at.”
I don't think this refutes anything. These objections are just “My two cents” type of comments, from people with no familiarity with the data. Mortality rate has one huge advantage over all other endpoints- it is definite and easily measurable. Quality of life is the opposite. For many, their quality of life would be hugely improved by not having to starve themselves every day, or needing to spend 2 hours sweating in the gym.I just read this in the NY Times. Maybe I should go off my diet?
Unfortunately, the next paragraph refutes this:
".....risk of death from all causes was significantly lower in overweight people compared to normal weight, and significantly higher in the underweight and obese."
Bottom line, IMO, is everything in moderation.