Harmful effects of overweight are underestimated
A study from the University of Bristol has found that the harmful effects of overweight and obesity are being underestimated. The study, which contained data from around 60,000 parents and their children, analysed how obesity and BMI influences the risk of death. Previous studies have suggested the optimal BMI, at which the risk of death is minimised, is slightly above the recommended ‘normal’ range, meaning that it is good for you to be slightly overweight. However some disease courses can lead to you having a lower BMI but a higher risk of death, this makes it highly difficult to estimate how BMI actually influences risk of death.
The researchers used parent and child combinations as BMI is related due to genetic factors, however the BMI of ‘adult’ children is not influenced by illness amongst the parents, therefore using the offspring BMI avoids the problems inherent with simply relating the parent BMI to their risk of death. They found that when offspring BMI was used instead of the parent’s own BMI, the apparent harmful effects of low BMI were reduced, and the harmful effects of high BMI were greater than those found in the conventional analyses. These results therefore suggest that current studies may tend to underestimate the harmful effects of a higher BMI. The authors are therefore calling for more robust approaches for identifying causal relationships influencing health, especially the relationship of BMI to overall health.
Read MoreObesity worsens asthma in preschool children
Findings from a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Immunology have concluded that obesity can add five weeks of asthma symptoms in children ages 2 to 5. The researchers also found that untreated children who were overweight had more asthma attacks than untreated children of a healthy weight. The study also found that the effectiveness of steroid inhalers is not reduced in overweight or obese pre-schoolers, findings that are the opposite in older children and adults. Therefore, this study suggests that either the pathways of inflammation are different in younger children, or that it takes a long time for obesity to reduce the effectiveness of inhaled corticosteroids.
Overall, the study included data from 736 children, and is a retrospective analysis, making the conclusions slightly weaker. Therefore, the researchers hope that further research with a larger number of children might take place, and that this study is the catalyst for it.
Read MoreObesity not quite associated with improved survival
A controversial body of research has suggested that obesity may be associated with an improved rate of survival in patients with cardiovascular disease. It has been suggested in the past that because obese individuals have an extra catabolic reserve, and many diseases result in the wasting away at the end of life, they could prolong survival. However, a new study from the New York University College of Global Health has found that this ‘obesity paradox’ is not present among those with new cases of cardiovascular disease. Previous studies often included patients with established cardiovascular disease, where disease related factors may have biased towards an observation of a paradox.
In this study, the researchers used data from a nationally representative set from the United States that contains surveys of more than 30,000 people. Looking at a variety of cardiovascular issues and weight change over time the researchers found a strong association with the ‘obesity paradox’; the risk of death was 18 to 36 percent lower for people with obesity compared to those of a normal weight. However, in those with new cardiovascular disease, this association was not seen. This conclusion suggests that studies which include individuals with established cardiovascular factors are likely to be biased by factors such as disease related weight loss. The authors are keen to highlight that the findings do not support re-evaluation of guidelines to account for the obesity paradox.
Read MoreDiffering ethnic risks of obesity explained
For many years it has been believed that black individuals have a higher risk of developing diabetes, and the reason for this was unexplained. However, a new study published in JAMA has concluded that rates of obesity are what drives the differences in diabetes incidence between black and white individuals. Data from 4,251 individuals enrolled in a separate study was used for this research, spanning a range of states within the USA. Previous studies have found that higher rates of diabetes are present in black populations even when risk factors such as obesity and socioeconomic status are taken into account. Many of these studies measured parameters such as obesity, physical activity, and diet once during their participants’ lives. This study found that the black population tended to gain more weight over time, thereby increasing their risk of developing diabetes.
There will be no easy fix for this complex issue as it involves a variety of biological, socioeconomic, cultural, and behavioural factors. The study authors explained that it is vital for there to be equal access to healthy foods, spaces for physical activity, and economic opportunity to afford these things. If we were to control these risk factors we may go some way to controlling the effects of obesity, such as diabetes.
Read MoreBinge eating as a weight loss obstacle
A new study from the University of Pennsylvania has found that those who binge eat whilst they are trying to lose weight, drop around half as much as those who do not, these findings have been published in Obesity. In order to assess the role of binge eating, and how addictive behaviours affect treatment for a variety of populations, the researchers used data from over 5,000 overweight and obese patients as part of a multi-centre randomised controlled trial. Over the course of the trial, the participants noted any instances of consumption of excess food resulting from a feeling of lack of control, and these were recorded on questionnaires.
The researchers found that at four years participants that reported no binge eating, or a reduced tendency to do so, lost more weight (4.6% of initial body weight) than those who did binge eat (1.9%). In light of these findings, the authors have suggested that behavioural therapies might benefit those that binge eat if they are trying to lose weight and would be effective in conjunction with established weight loss interventions. Further to this, they proposed that binge eating tendencies should be monitored throughout weight loss periods, so that individuals can benefit from a more targeted approach.
Read More