DigitalVision/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — We know that being obese can lead to a shorter life, but is there a residual risk of obesity even after you have lost the weight? A new study suggests there is.
Researchers compared weight and height data from two waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with death certificate records from the National Death Index. They found that those who were once obese but later lost the weight were still at a higher risk of dying early from any cause compared to those who had been at a normal weight for their entire lives.
The authors of the study, published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, say that these findings suggest that the current research practice of linking risk of early death to current obesity could be leading us to underestimate the risks of excess weight.
The study could also give those who have never been overweight extra incentive to stay at a normal weight.
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