Obese, physically active men 44% greater risk of death than the most active lean men

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Wednesday, October 07, 2009 11:45 am Email this article
Obese (BMI 30 or more) physically active men, 45- to 79-years-old, were 44 percent more likely to die during a 9.7 year followup than the one-third of lean men (BMI less than 25) who were the most physically active according to a recent study of 37,633 men men.

To say this the other way, the most active lean men were 31 percent less likely to die that the least active lean men. Conclusion #1

Conclusion: Overweight and physical inactivity predict the risk of death

“We conclude that both overweight and physical inactivity are important predictors of mortality,” the paper concludes.

 

Conclusion #2

Conclusion: Exercise does NOT compensate for the increased risk of death due to being overweight

“Our findings do not support the hypothesis that a higher level of physical activity compensates the excess mortality associated with overweight and obesity,” they also note.

REFERENCE

Orsini N, Bellocco R, Bottai M, Pagano M, Michaelsson K, Wolk A. Combined effects of obesity and physical activity in predicting mortality among men. J Intern Med. 2008 Nov, 264(5):442-51.

AUTHOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION

Nicola Orsini
Division of Nutritional Epidemiology
Institute of Environmental Medicine
Karolinska Institutet
Stockholm, Sweden
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