Author Bill Hendrick, in the article Heart Risk of Obesity Greater Than Thought, gives an overview of a study by scientists at the University of Bristol in the U.K. and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. The article also states that the study shows that the risks of being underweight may have been overstated.
As a health and physical educator, this is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. Obesity is an epidemic in this country and it is the greatest threat to health there is. Previous studies have shown that those who are obese are at a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Studies have also shown a link between being underweight and increase mortality from diseases such as lung cancer and respiratory disease.
The scientists at the above mentioned institutions now say that the risks of being overweight may have been understated and the risks of being underweight may have been overstated. The study is published in the journal BMJ.
Obesity has been rising in this country and is a huge problem. The problem of being underweight isn’t as much of an issue and is generally limited to those with eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia. Diseases that are related to obesity and on the rise include diabetes, stroke, coronary heart disease, and many types of cancer.
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