It would appear that rumours of death from obesity have been greatly exaggerated.
It was a new statistical model rather than a new diet that brought the death toll from obesity down from 400,000 to 112,000. At the same time, being overweight is preventing 68,000 extra deaths while being underweight is causing 34,000. Got all that?
The International Herald yesterday had a great piece on the yo-yo science in research on obesity.
And so here is the latest "scientific thinking" from a newly released report from the U.S Centers for Disease Control: Those with a little extra weight have a lower risk of premature death than those without it. The argument is that having more bulk may help you through the sick bed when you are older.
Personally, I find it ludicrous that the White House funds studies that result in information any sane person could come up with on their own.
There is a massive obesity problem in the United States. You need only walk through a mall in Florida, New Jersey - hell pick any suburb and see it in existence. The issue here is one of moderation. Does it make sense that one increases risk of disease from too much weight? Yes. About as much sense as it makes that one risks disease from not having enough weight to stave off illness. So what's a few extra pounds here and there?
Now someone tell me that you can be too rich......I'm listening......
Good post Deira! I wish they would make up thre mind. To me the whole thing smacks a bit of "cooking" the books, I am sure there is a connection between obesity type lawsuits, fast food franchises scrambling to find healther alternatives and the CDC lowering the obesity death toll. Makes you want to go hmmmm.
Posted by: FB | 16 June 2005 at 01:42 AM