Belly Fat: Is It Really a Health Risk? New Study Says Otherwise

The common notion is that being overweight is detrimental to one’s health and that slimmer individuals are likely to be happier and healthier. This is widely acknowledged.

According to a new report, the number of overweight or obese people worldwide is projected to exceed half the population by 2035. The report, the World Obesity Federation’s 2023 atlas, predicts that developing countries in Asia and Africa will experience the fastest growth rates.

The report further indicates that more than four billion individuals will be classified as obese or overweight within the next 12 years.

“The figure is alarming,” remarks new study author Ida Karlsson, “since it is well-established that a high BMI in middle-age increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and other conditions.”

However, it remains unclear whether all individuals with obesity are at an increased risk of heart disease or diabetes.

The new study, published in eClinicalMedicine, reveals that the risk of developing cardiovascular disease varies greatly among individuals with obesity.

To investigate this variability, the researchers analyzed data from over 15,000 twins registered with the Swedish Twin Registry.

They gathered information on their BMI and genetic predisposition for high BMI and collected data from medical registries to determine the incidence of cardiovascular disease in this group.

Using this data, the researchers were able to examine how the risk of cardiovascular disease is influenced by overweight and obesity resulting from genetic factors versus those resulting from environmental and lifestyle factors.

“The link between obesity and cardiovascular disease was twice as strong in those with a genetic predisposition to a low BMI as it was in those with obesity driven by genetic factors,” adds Ida Karlsson.

Dr. Karlsson emphasizes that leading a healthy lifestyle is essential for everyone, and that individuals who are overweight or obese are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease than those who have a healthy weight. However, the study’s findings suggest that obesity primarily caused by genetic factors may not have the same negative impact on health as obesity resulting from other factors, such as lifestyle.

“Obesity is a complex common disease that can have many different causes,” she points out. “Since it’s so stigmatised, the results can help us understand that its effects on health differ from one individual to the next.”

“Even though we all know that it takes more than exercise and diet to combat obesity, there’s still a large stigma attached to it. I think much could be gained by focusing on what has caused the obesity and what we can do to reduce the risk of comorbidities in each individual instead of mainly focusing on BMI.”

Dr. Karlsson’s ongoing research aims to investigate how individuals with overweight and obesity caused by genetic factors compared to those caused by lifestyle factors in terms of their blood glucose levels, cholesterol, and inflammation markers.

Source: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.101943

Image Credit: Getty