Half of overweight adults may have healthy hearts

A new study suggests that a large proportion of overweight people have normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels, while an equally startling number of trim people suffer from some of the issues associated with obesity.

“Waist size is a more accurate way of determining someone’s health risks.”

The results show that stereotypes on body size can be misleading, and that even people with small builds have risk factors commonly associated with obesity.Scientists analyzed surveys involving 5,440 people age 20 and over, and extrapolated to calculate nationwide figures.

A number of experts say waist size is a more accurate way of determining someone’s health risks, and the study results support that argument.

The study also found risk factors for heart problems were generally more common in older people, smokers and inactive people. Among obese people who were 50 to 64, just 20% were considered healthy compared with half of younger obese people.