When Janet Servoss shops for clothes in Orange County, California, she sees plenty of selection in sizes zero, two and four, but fewer in sizes 12 and 14.
"You're bombarded by it daily," she said of the message that thin is better. "It's everywhere." But according to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, being thin might not be in your best interest in the long run. The report is drawing strong reaction in the medical community, among proponents who hail its findings and among critics, one of whom dismisses it as "rubbish."
The comprehensive study confirmed that obese people tend to die earlier than people of normal weight. But it also found that overweight people–those with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 30–had a lower risk of dying than people of normal weight.
"If I were to look at this study and if it is shown to be true, I would think maybe I should be worrying less that I'm wearing a size 12 and focus on how I feel," said Servoss, a 44-year-old nurse whose BMI fluctuates from 24 to 26.
Researchers analyzed nearly 100 studies that included more than 2.8 million people. While obese people had a higher risk of death–particularly those whose BMI was 35 or more–overweight people had a six per cent lower risk of death than those of normal weight.
"Because this bias against weight has been so prevalent, it's really been unquestioned, and I think this concept that thin is healthy and fat is not healthy is clearly not true," said Michelle May, a physician and author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat.
Some thin people exercise excessively and don't eat a balanced diet, and there are people in the overweight and obese categories who have good diets and are active, she said. May said people need to focus on choices about eating and physical activity rather than be concerned about the numbers on a scale.
"I find it interesting that the reason they did this is because this is something that has shown up over and over again. It is challenging to shift a paradigm that has become so deeply entrenched, that being overweight by BMI category automatically puts you at high risk," she said.
Americans overemphasize the importance of being thin, said professor Glenn Gaesser, author of Big Fat Lies and director of the Healthy Lifestyles Research Center at Arizona State University.
"We have had for decades now an obsession with thinness and an obsession with weight and how to lose it," he said. "I think the forces in our culture–in fashion, in fitness, in health and wellness–all have been predicated on, 'A thin body is a good body and a fat body is a bad body,' and that's wrong. I have always believed that a good, healthy body can come in many shapes and sizes."
Fat, fit people tend to be better off healthwise than thin people who are unfit, Gaesser said, suggesting that being fit is far more important than being thin.
The study authors say it's possible that overweight people live longer because they get better medical care and are tested for diabetes, heart problems and other diseases stemming from their weight. Heavier people might also be able to better survive infections or surgery.
While many say the findings make sense, some experts take issue with the way the research was conducted and express concern it will send wrong message.
"Of course, a lot of people would like to hear that it's no problem that they are overweight or obese," said Walter Willett, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chair of the Harvard School of Public Health's Department of Nutrition. "It causes a lot of confusion that's completely unnecessary."
He called the study "a pile of rubbish." Scientists often disagree, said Barry Graubard, senior investigator at the National Cancer Institute and one of the authors of the study.
"We published our findings in the peer-reviewed scientific literature to invite discussion," he said in an e-mail. "It is by engaging with our colleagues in this manner that science advances."
BMI is one of three numbers people should watch, according to Willett.
"It's also useful to look at weight change since age 20," he said. "That's going to primarily be fat. The third is your waistline. The vast majority of people will be best off if they do not increase their weight or waistline after age 20."
Not smoking, eating a high-quality and healthful diet, not being overweight and being physically active all contribute to a person's health, he said. (CNN)
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