Comments on: Maybe we should have a small spare tire

By: Body mass index

Body mass index — Wed, 31 May 2006 00:01:36 +0000

I don’t disagree that obesity is detrimental to one’s health.
Check out this introduction article on Body_mass_index:
http://www.articleworld.org/Body_mass_index
Content:
1.BMI formula
2.History
3.Use
4.Alternative_tools
5.Guidelines for health

By: DB’s Medical Rants » The controversy of being overweight

DB’s Medical Rants » The controversy of being overweight — Fri, 27 May 2005 12:55:20 +0000

[...] lishment does not like this article. I first commented on the original article in April – Maybe we should have a small spare tire. I also found an amusin [...]

By: Dianne

Dianne — Mon, 25 Apr 2005 17:25:07 +0000

The results of the NHANES III study seem to contradict the results of previous studies on the same issue. Perhaps some confounding factors are involved. Perhaps we are simply better at controlling the health problems of obesity than of being underweight. For example, it is easier to control hypercholesterolemia than osteoporosis. Additionally, there is some thought that the statins may reduce heart disease more than is accounted for by their cholesterol lowering properties. Perhaps overweight people are more likely to be taking a statin, therefore more likely to get the secondary benefits than a normal or underweight person who is not taking the same med?

By: rjh

rjh — Fri, 22 Apr 2005 20:15:32 +0000

I wonder whether they have the right data to analyze in terms of body fat percentage rather than BMI. The smaller studies that I have seen indicate that body fat percentage is more reliable. BMI is more easily used because it is much easier to measure reliably for large studies, and correlates well with body fat. Body fat also correlates much better with the “tape measure” test than BMI does.

By: Dr. Sudeep Bansal

Dr. Sudeep Bansal — Thu, 21 Apr 2005 12:29:40 +0000

In all this hoopla about overweight people living longer than those with normal weight one vital fact has been overlooked although published in the article – “the new study addressed the risk only of death and not of disability or disease. ”

So although overweight people might live longer, they may still be predisposed to various disorders such as hypertension and diabetes.

By: Dr. Daniel Carras, PhD, DMSc, MD[Defending]

Dr. Daniel Carras, PhD, DMSc, MD[Defending] — Wed, 20 Apr 2005 20:52:56 +0000

“For example, 5-foot-8 people weighing less than 122 pounds are underweight. If they weighed 122 to 164 pounds, their weight would be normal. They would be overweight at 165 to 196, obese at 197 to 229, and extremely obese at 230 or over.”

The weight numbers and the weight issues all have a certain degree flexibility. Much more than is currently seen by most reports (as this report shows). What this
report doesn’t show is the effects to looked for when being either under weight or over weight. For example, at what point, when under weight does the body start
to consume itself. I personally know people, who were over weight, they began a pill and vitamin diet – they lost weight (a lot of weight) but they look more aged
and gaunt. Something that I’ve seen in my medical studies, too much weight-loss accelerates aging. However, this has been rarely studied, what has been reported is
the significantly reduce calorie diet of mice. Then on the opposing side, there has been little done outside the standard views of weight gain – with the exception of
this study. Here’s the contradiction – that any weight lifter knows, weight bearing exercise (which builds bone mass/density) increases the body’s weight! The point,
while this study is a good starting point – much more needs to be done.