Even carrying a few extra pounds in patients who are not frankly obese is enough to increase the risk of death, according to two large studies.

A prospective study of 527,265 American men and women, who were 50 to 71 years old when the study started, found that being overweight at midlife (age 50) increased the risk of death by 10 to 30%.

And an analysis of more than 1.2 million Koreans, ages 30 to 95, found that the risk of death from any cause was lowest for a normal weight, and increased for those underweight, overweight, or obese.

Both studies were published in the Aug. 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Compare this with a study published earlier - Some Extra Heft May Be Helpful, New Study Says.

Reference - Only a Little Extra Weight Increases Death Risk - MedPage Today

Technorati Tags: Obesity, Death, Obese, Overweight, Risk

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