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Obesity, life expectancy, and disability
While our life expectancy has been increasing for decades, to what extent disability-free life expectancy will increase remains uncertain. Already, the obesity epidemic has resulted in a doubling of the prevalence of obesity in Western countries.
Earlier studies found that both obesity and overweight collectively were associated with an increase in disability and premature death. However, the impact of higher BMI’s on mortality has apparently diminished over time.
A recent study published in the journal, Obesity, assessed how much of the overweight status (obesity and overweight collectively) is associated with both longevity and disability in Western Europe [1]. The study included self-report health and socioeconomic information collected from 66,331 participants from nine different countries.
Obesity vs. Overweight, what’s the diff?
Obesity has been arbitrarily interchanged with overweight. However, at the medical point of view they are supposed to be defined differently. The term obesity refers to the medical condition where there is an accumulation of excess body fat. Being overweight may refer to the inappropriate or too much weight for one’s height. Additionally, being overweight may due to other structures in the body such as the muscle and the bone rather than fats.
Overweight can also be a “pre-obesity” stage in a standard classification, but the risks of associated diseases increase as an individual became categorized as obese. The excess fat build-up associated with obesity may cause adverse health effects where in many cases can lead to other metabolic, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Thus, obesity may reduce the life expectancy of an individual.
To further define obesity, a crude population measure known as the body mass index (BMI) is used. It is done by comparing weight with height and by a standard table, the level of obesity can be determined.
Below is the formula for BMI:
The BMI of an individual is correlated to the total body fat and percentage body fat. The result of one’s BMI is categorized and classified using the standard table below:
Branched-chain amino acid intake and prevalence of obesity?
With the recent buzz surrounding the obesity epidemic, particularly in developed nations with the Americans leading the way, people are starting to look closer at dietary factors that affect their weight.
Branched-chain amino acids, of which there are three—leucine, isoleucine, and valine, are essential amino acids. In total, there are nine essential amino acids which you have to obtain from dietary sources since your body is unable to synthesize them de novo.
In a study published in the Journal of Nutrition [1], researchers from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, looked at the association between branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) intake and risk of being overweight/obese in a population-based study.
