Does obesity increase health risks?

A new study by U.S. researchers shows that obesity is not actually a risk factor for organ failure or death, and that diabetes caused by a high body mass index BMI increases health risks.

Dr. David Manino of the University of Kentucky Medical Center, who participated in the study, said: "Several studies have shown that people with a higher body mass index are in worse shape."

Manino's team studied data from 15408 people. Consistent with previous studies, obese people are more likely to develop diabetes. The proportion of obese people with a body mass index of 30 or above is 22%, while the proportion of people with a lower body mass index is only 8%.

Studies found that body mass index alone was not associated with the risk of severe organ failure. In contrast, people with diabetes have a higher chance of organ failure, at 2.4%, while people without diabetes have a 0.7% chance of organ failure.

Among patients with organ failure, diabetic patients have a higher mortality rate than non-diabetic patients. The in-hospital mortality rates for these two groups were 46% and 12%, respectively, and the mortality rates within 3 years were 51% and 21%, respectively.

Body mass index BMI is the result of dividing kilograms of body weight by the square of height and meters. If a BMI exceeds 25, you are considered overweight, and if a BMI above 30, you are considered obese. (Internship Editor: Zheng Yanjun)