Overweight health risks
An article by Various Sources
Posted January 21, 2008 
Nearly four million people weighing a ‘normal’ amount could unknowingly be at risk of obesity-related conditions
A study conducted by nutrition expert Dr Margaret Ashwell on behalf of Lloyds pharmacy explored obesity data from the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey, taking waist circumference measurements into account.
It found that 3.6 million people with a ‘normal’ body mass index (BMI) could still face problems such as diabetes and heart disease, due to their central fat distribution.
35% of men and 14% of women not considered technically overweight may be at risk.
Andy Murdock of Lloyds pharmacy said: “We already knew that there is an enormous problem with too many people being overweight in the UK, but this new research shows that the problem of related heart risks might be bigger than previously thought, and that some normal weight people have health risks that are not obvious from their weight alone.”
BMI, a calculation assessing the suitable weight of a person in relation to their height, became a popular means of checking weight in the 1950s and 1960s.
But Dr Ashwell said people should not rely solely it as an indicator of general health.
“It is vitally important that any screening problem to help the public minimise health risks encompasses an assessment of fat distribution – preferably using waist circumference – as well as BMI,” she said.
