Picture
"Be conscious of your appearance" small art fridge magnet, by artist, Kathy Shell.
Extreme obesity can shorten people's lives by 12 years

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY

Extremely obese people — those who are 80 or more pounds over a normal weight — live three to 12 fewer years than their normal-weight peers, a new study shows.

Just being overweight or moderately obese, however, has little or no effect on life span, the research found. The finding adds to the growing body of evidence that being slightly overweight may have no influence on life expectancy, but being severely overweight trims years off people's lives.

Overall, about 66% of adults in the USA are either overweight or obese. About one-third of people are in the obese category, meaning they have a body mass index of 30 or greater.

Body mass index, or BMI, is a measure based on height and weight. About 6% of people are extremely obese — that is, they have a BMI of 40 or greater.

Economists with RTI International, a non-profit research organization in Research Triangle Park, N.C., analyzed national data on 366,000 people. Among the findings being published online in the journal Obesity:

•Overall, excess weight was responsible for the loss of roughly 95 million years of life in the USA in 2008.

•Non-smokers who are obese — those who are about 30 or more pounds over a healthy weight — have a shorter life span by a year or less.

•Non-smokers who are overweight — about 29 pounds over a healthy weight — do not have shortened lives.

•Smoking takes a toll, too, and very heavy smokers are affected most. An 18-year-old white male who is normal weight and does not smoke can expect to live to age 81. If he's extremely obese and a smoker, his life expectancy is 60, a difference of 21 years.

The effect of extreme obesity appears to be greater for men than women and for whites than blacks, says Derek Brown, a health economist with RTI International and co-author of the study.

Lead author Eric Finkelstein says being moderately overweight may not affect people's life span because there are so many effective treatments to manage the health problems that often come with extra pounds, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.

For instance, of the top 25 most prescribed medications, 10 target high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, he says.

Finkelstein and obesity experts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have conducted additional research that shows the high medical costs of extra pounds. They recently published a study that showed obese Americans cost the country an estimated $147 billion in weight-related medical bills in 2008, double the amount a decade ago.

Obesity now accounts for 9.1% of all medical spending, up from 6.5% in 1998, they found. Overall, an obese patient has $4,871 in medical bills a year compared with $3,442 for a patient at a healthy weight.
 
 


Comments

Jadey link
08/27/2009 6:44pm

I love your picture.

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kathy Shell link
08/27/2009 7:15pm

:-), Thank you, another fabulous subject Jadey. Animals, birds and children at play, wonderful subjects to express positive life and motivations.

Reply
private health cover link
03/16/2011 6:33am

Nice post, I think that it is important to keep yourself healthy. Thanks for sharing.

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    Follow me in Facebook @ Kathy Shell

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    _Happy New year :-)
    I am going to combine several seemingly contradicting eating and exercise programs and put together my own Artslim Naturally slimming and Gray-Nomad fitness program.  I plan to bring these out as a low cost EBook and small paperback. They will suit anyone interested in managing weight with son=me difficult health conditions such as metabolic syndrome and past injuries.

     I'll be showing you some of the books I am reading that have some excellent qualities, although they will not be exactly what I am putting together to suit me and my style of doing things.
    I will be focusing on eating and exercising for wellness, weight loss if obese, weight management and balanced fulfilling lifestyle..

    Art and Art Print Gifts, available to purchase from The Art of
    Kathy Shell

       142 mm x 110mm
    large fridge magnets.
    View below.
    Picture
    "Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can." Spring garden with pansies. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell
    Picture
    "Everyday is a renewal of life." Mare and Foal. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Be weird whenever you have the chance. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Friends Forever. Gollies and bears family. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "Fall in love with someone." Old English Sheepdogs. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "If friends were flowers I'd pick you." Just Joey Rose. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Live, Love, Laugh.Learn. Hannah with Flower. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Indulge in the things you truly love. Blythewood Grange. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "The winds of heaven are that which blows between a horses ears." Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Love your friends, no matter who they are. Bear grouping. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "I always knew you'd make a splash." Jenny and Max. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    If friends were flowers, I'd pick you. Magnolia. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. Three heavy horses at the gate. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "Don't approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back or a fool from any side. Three heavy horses, side on. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "Get to know your neighbour!" Rusty and Rosco the Clydesdales. "Don't approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back or a fool from any side. Three heavy horses, side on. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "Believe in yourself." Churchill Island farmyard. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "Share with Friends. " Reg walking the dog. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "Friends are welcome anytime, relatives by appointment only." Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "Best Mates" Two Possums climbing together. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Grampians Farmyard. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Kangaroo Ground, Victoria. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Horses at the Dam. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Wattle Ridge. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Bushfire Haze, Enfield Forrest Blaze. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Campfire, Robe River, Pilbara, Western Australia. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Golden Holstein Rose on Blue. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Heavy Horse, Mare and Foal. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    28 Parrot, in McDonnell Ranges, Central Australian. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Old bush dunny.and shed. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Welsh Pony Mare and Foal. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Pilbara, Western Australia. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Brumbies of the Snowy River, Gold. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Clydesdale Foal. Vertical. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Carlton and United Clydesdale team and dray at Buninyong. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Oil painting Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Emu Twist. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Robe River. Pilbara, Western Australia. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Mt Sonda, the Sleeping Lubra, McDonnell ranges, Central Australia. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Kookaburra, Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Murray River, Right. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Homeward bound. Clydesdales and dray in Australian landscape, Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Formosa Gardens )Beautiful Gardens) Ballarat,Victoria, Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Cream Frangipani on Blue. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Heavy Horses at gate and in stable. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Sturt Desert Pea. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Tennant Creek, Northern Territory. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Composite of Heavy Horse art images. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Buninyong Bush early evening. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.

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