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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOverweight diabetes patients outlive slimmer ones - study
http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/05/04/health-obesity-diabetes-idINL1N0XQ1XU20150504May 4 (Reuters) - Patients with type-2 diabetes who are overweight but not obese outlive diabetics of normal weight, scientists reported on Monday, in another example of the "obesity paradox."
Although public health officials issue dire warnings about the consequences of overweight, and employers are pressuring workers to slim down via "wellness programs," the relationship between weight and longevity is paradoxical: Studies show that although obesity increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), overweight patients with CVD live longer than patients of normal weight.
Similarly, obesity increases the chances of developing type-2 diabetes. But it wasn't clear if overweight confers a survival advantage in diabetics.
Sixteen previous studies got conflicting answers: Some found overweight diabetics had lower mortality; others didn't. But many were hobbled by methodological problems including few patients, short follow-up, or using questionnaires rather than clinic records.
NickB79
(19,224 posts)And as the study pointed out, there are still questions as to why the overweight diabetes patients lived longer than the thin diabetes patients:
"It's likely those diabetic patients with normal weight have a more aggressive form of type-2 diabetes compared to those who are overweight and obese," Costanzo said. (Reporting by Sharon Begley; Editing by Ted Botha)
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)Find a cure. It's insane that we still don't have a cure for AIDS, Cancer, MS, and diabetes among many others. The amount of money spent on studies and money donated to find a cure is an incredible amount. Someone said if they found cures for these the amount of money lost would be devestating. Do you think they want to find a cure and be out of work? Kinda scary if true.
Warpy
(111,124 posts)lived longer than their normal or underweight sisters did and they might start understanding why our bodies tend to put on weight as we age.
While larger, better designed studies are clearly needed, those studies also need to be separated by sex, to see if one sex benefits more from increased weight than the other, which might be the case.
Or maybe not. Old people don't seem to interest young researchers all that much so the studies like this that should have been done decades ago still have not been done.
daredtowork
(3,732 posts)Perhaps the ideal weight is being defined in ters of (male?) aesthetic preferences when actually nature favors the body that can fast for a whike, hibernate, or survive a famine ?
MannyGoldstein
(34,589 posts)the less we know.
Gothmog
(144,890 posts)This is very interesting