Obesity, Low BMI Linked to Increased Risk of Death, Study Reveals

A study published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology found a link between excess high or low body mass index (BMI) measurements and a higher risk of morbidity from a broad spectrum of major diseases, reports CNN . London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Professor Krishnan Bhaskaran says the goal of the research is "to help researchers, healthcare recipients, and doctors better understand how underweight and excess weight might be associated with diseases such as cancer, respiratory disease, and liver disease." According to the researchers, maintaining a BMI in the range of 21 to 25 kilograms per square meter is connected with the lowest level of morbidity, while BMI outside this range had a "J-shaped association" with nearly all causes of death. BMI of 30 or more, or obesity, was associated with a higher prevalence of heart disease and cancer. "BMI higher than 25, the upper end of healthy, is linked to most cancers, most cardiovascular diseases, respiratory disease, and liver and kidney conditions," Bhaskaran notes. Meanwhile, being underweight was linked to a "surprising wide range of deaths," such as dementia, Alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease, and suicide.