Those who are underweight may be at greater risk than those who are overweight, according to research conducted at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health, surveyed 51 studies on the links between BMI and deaths from any cause.
The researchers found that underweight adults (with a BMI under 18.5) are at a 1.8 greater risk of dying than those with a normal BMI (18.5-24.9). The risk for the obese (BMI of 30-34.9) is 1.2 greater than normal and 1.3 for the severely obese (BMI of 35 or higher).
"Our focus as a society has been on overweight, obese and very obese, and there's no problem in our focus. It's an important public health and individual health issue," said lead author Dr. Joel Ray. "But in the process we've neglected the influence of being underweight on mortality."
Diseases associated with underweight include lung disease, cardiovascular disease such as heart failure and falls and injuries from poor fitness and less muscle mass.
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