For most diseases, being overweight or obese is considered detrimental. Previous studies have generally shown that obesity increases the risk of conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Obesity is a common issue in many countries. According to the "2020 Report on Nutrition and Chronic Disease Status of Chinese Residents," over 50% of adults in China are overweight or obese. Typically, being overweight or obese is seen as a negative health indicator. The World Health Organization (WHO) uses body mass index (BMI) to classify weight status:
A BMI greater than 25 is considered overweight.
So, does being overweight or obese really offer no benefits? Actually, that's not entirely true.
In an unexpected finding, new research suggests that obesity might have some advantages. Contrary to popular belief, a recent study published in PLOS One titled "Impact of Obesity on Outcome of Severe Bacterial Infections" shows that obesity might actually increase a person's chances of surviving life-threatening infections.
Researchers at Gothenburg University studied 2,196 patients in Sweden who were being treated for severe sepsis and septic shock. They found that the case fatality rate (CFR) was inversely related to BMI, meaning that higher BMI was associated with a higher survival rate in the case of severe bacterial infections.
In the study, obese patients had better outcomes than those with normal weight or who were underweight. This suggests that obesity might offer some protective benefits when it comes to surviving severe bacterial infections. The study also found that survival rates were negatively correlated with age, which supports findings from earlier research. If BMI is linked to age, could it mean that obese individuals seem younger?
In conclusion, people with larger waistlines were found to be less likely to die from severe bacterial infections compared to those with slimmer bodies.
However, it's important to note that obesity is still associated with many other health problems. Addressing obesity remains a challenge for many countries, and future research will likely continue to explore its complex relationship with health and survival. While these findings may offer a new perspective, obesity’s overall impact on health remains a controversial issue, and ongoing studies will continue to refine our understanding of how it affects life expectancy and disease outcomes.
