According to the report in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association, obesity increased the risk of death from heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease, and several cancers. But being merely overweight, having a body-mass index (BMI) between 25 and 30, did not increase the risk of dying from heart disease or cancer.
The study's lead author, Katherine Flegal, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, "Excess weight does not uniformly increase the risk of mortality from any and every cause, but only from certain causes."
The study also indicated that overweight persons were about 40 percent less likely to die from other causes like emphysema, pneumonia, injuries and various infections. The age group that appeared to benefit most from a little excess weight was 25 to 59.
University of South Carolina obesity researchers Steven Blair, a 'fat can be fit' advocate called the report "a careful and plausible analysis."
He said, "While the nation's obesity epidemic is real, the number of deaths attributed to it and to being overweight has been exaggerated."
Blair said, "People should focus instead on healthful eating and exercise, and stop obsessing about carrying a few extra pounds or becoming supermodel thin."
