This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/health/7908575.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 1 | Version 2 |
---|---|
Being fat 'is as bad as smoking' | Being fat 'is as bad as smoking' |
(about 10 hours later) | |
Being overweight or seriously underweight as a teenager curbs life expectancy as much as smoking 10 cigarettes a day, a study suggests. | Being overweight or seriously underweight as a teenager curbs life expectancy as much as smoking 10 cigarettes a day, a study suggests. |
Swedish researchers followed 46,000 men from the age of 18 for 38 years. | Swedish researchers followed 46,000 men from the age of 18 for 38 years. |
Being obese or smoking more than 10 a day doubled the premature death risk, the British Medical Journal reported. | Being obese or smoking more than 10 a day doubled the premature death risk, the British Medical Journal reported. |
Being overweight, seriously underweight or smoking 10 or less raised it by 30% - and interestingly the fat non-smoker ran the same risk as the fat smoker. | Being overweight, seriously underweight or smoking 10 or less raised it by 30% - and interestingly the fat non-smoker ran the same risk as the fat smoker. |
Being overweight or obese at the age of 18 increases the risk of premature death, regardless of smoking status Dr Martin Neovius Those who were underweight - with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 18.5 - had no increased risk of dying early, regardless of whether they smoked or not. | Being overweight or obese at the age of 18 increases the risk of premature death, regardless of smoking status Dr Martin Neovius Those who were underweight - with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 18.5 - had no increased risk of dying early, regardless of whether they smoked or not. |
But the team from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that those who were seriously underweight - with a BMI of 17 or less - ran the same risk as those who were overweight. | But the team from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that those who were seriously underweight - with a BMI of 17 or less - ran the same risk as those who were overweight. |
They looked at 45,920 men born between 1949 and 1951 who were military conscripts. In this period as few as 3% of Swedish men were exempt from military service. | They looked at 45,920 men born between 1949 and 1951 who were military conscripts. In this period as few as 3% of Swedish men were exempt from military service. |
Nearly 3,000 of the participants died - with the incidence of death lowest in the normal weight category. | Nearly 3,000 of the participants died - with the incidence of death lowest in the normal weight category. |
"Compared to normal weight adolescents, being overweight at the age of 18 increased the risk of premature death by just over a third, while being obese more than doubled the risk," the team, led by Dr Martin Neovius, wrote. | "Compared to normal weight adolescents, being overweight at the age of 18 increased the risk of premature death by just over a third, while being obese more than doubled the risk," the team, led by Dr Martin Neovius, wrote. |
And this risk increased regardless of smoking status, they added. | And this risk increased regardless of smoking status, they added. |
BODY MASS INDEX Calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres squared Normal: 18.5 - 24.9Overweight: 25 - 29.9Obese: Above 30 Calculate your BMI Dr Ian Campbell, of the charity Weight Concern, said the findings were "very interesting". | BODY MASS INDEX Calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres squared Normal: 18.5 - 24.9Overweight: 25 - 29.9Obese: Above 30 Calculate your BMI Dr Ian Campbell, of the charity Weight Concern, said the findings were "very interesting". |
"When patients who are overweight and smoke ask what they should work on first, we've always said smoking as the wisdom has always been that this poses more health risks - yet this study suggests otherwise." | "When patients who are overweight and smoke ask what they should work on first, we've always said smoking as the wisdom has always been that this poses more health risks - yet this study suggests otherwise." |
Betty McBride, of the British Heart Foundation, said: "The government need to bring the same level of sustained focus to tackling the obesity crisis it has previously brought to smoking." | Betty McBride, of the British Heart Foundation, said: "The government need to bring the same level of sustained focus to tackling the obesity crisis it has previously brought to smoking." |
"The number of young people who are overweight and obese is growing. Without tackling this now we risk the next generation growing up with more health problems than their parents." | "The number of young people who are overweight and obese is growing. Without tackling this now we risk the next generation growing up with more health problems than their parents." |
/> | |
Are you overweight? Have you tried losing weight using a gastric band? You can send us your experiences using the form below: | |