Being slim can up risk of death: Study
‘Excessive Dieting May Have Fatal Outcomes’
Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com
Chennai:12.07.2018
Growing waistlines may increase risks of heart and kidney disease, strokes and cancers, but a study by Chennai researchers has found that the cause of death in most Indians is associated with being thin.
Being overweight or obese is not always bad, but it is important to follow a proper diet and exercise.
“Some overweight individuals lead a healthy life, with no metabolic changes in their glucose levels or lipid profile,” said Dr Anjana Ranjit Mohan of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, who led the study. “On the other hand, people on excessive diets may lack vital nutrients, leading to complications, including death.”
The study published in Plosone on Monday looked at causes and predictors of mortality among people in Chennai with and without diabetes. Of the 2,273 people followed for a decade, 671 died. Scientists asked for the cause of death in 552 people from family members and adjudicated it by trained physicians. “As expected, we found the mortality rate was at least three times higher among diabetics, particularly in the 51-70 age group. But analysis showed being underweight was associated with a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality in the overall study cohort, whereas overweight and obesity were not,” she said.
While heart disease killed most people in the older group, diabetes was the key cause for mortality in the young. Over all, renal disease topped the causes’ list among diabetics.
The results could have been skewed due to paucity of individuals with higher grades of obesity but being underweight, clinical epidemiologist C S Shanthi Rani said, confers a greater risk of mortality than expected in this population. “There is strong evidence in studies abroad that undernourished people are likely to be exposed to chronic undernutrition and its consequences such as infectious diseases and micronutrient deficiency or even intrauterine growth retardation.” she said.
Another possibility, diabetologist Dr V Mohan said, is that renal failure, most common cause of death among diabetics, can leave a person wasted. “It is the most frequently occurring comorbidity among people with renal failure. Treatment such as dialysis, heavy diet restriction and medications can cause severe weight loss,” he said.
‘Excessive Dieting May Have Fatal Outcomes’
Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com
Chennai:12.07.2018
Growing waistlines may increase risks of heart and kidney disease, strokes and cancers, but a study by Chennai researchers has found that the cause of death in most Indians is associated with being thin.
Being overweight or obese is not always bad, but it is important to follow a proper diet and exercise.
“Some overweight individuals lead a healthy life, with no metabolic changes in their glucose levels or lipid profile,” said Dr Anjana Ranjit Mohan of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, who led the study. “On the other hand, people on excessive diets may lack vital nutrients, leading to complications, including death.”
The study published in Plosone on Monday looked at causes and predictors of mortality among people in Chennai with and without diabetes. Of the 2,273 people followed for a decade, 671 died. Scientists asked for the cause of death in 552 people from family members and adjudicated it by trained physicians. “As expected, we found the mortality rate was at least three times higher among diabetics, particularly in the 51-70 age group. But analysis showed being underweight was associated with a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality in the overall study cohort, whereas overweight and obesity were not,” she said.
While heart disease killed most people in the older group, diabetes was the key cause for mortality in the young. Over all, renal disease topped the causes’ list among diabetics.
The results could have been skewed due to paucity of individuals with higher grades of obesity but being underweight, clinical epidemiologist C S Shanthi Rani said, confers a greater risk of mortality than expected in this population. “There is strong evidence in studies abroad that undernourished people are likely to be exposed to chronic undernutrition and its consequences such as infectious diseases and micronutrient deficiency or even intrauterine growth retardation.” she said.
Another possibility, diabetologist Dr V Mohan said, is that renal failure, most common cause of death among diabetics, can leave a person wasted. “It is the most frequently occurring comorbidity among people with renal failure. Treatment such as dialysis, heavy diet restriction and medications can cause severe weight loss,” he said.
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