Obesity A Major Killer of Women

Obesity Is A Major Killer of Women,

New Study Confirms

Obesity is a major contributor to premature
death in women, even those who have never smoked...

Particularly among women in low income groups, new research reports non-smoking women who are obese have the highest premature death rates. The study was published online in the British Medical Journal.

While established research has shown clearly that smoking is linked to premature death and health inequalities, it is not known which causes of death are related to the social position of women who have never smoked, states the report.

To investigate this area further, the researchers from NHS Health Scotland, reviewed the cases of 3,613 women who
had never smoked. These women participated in a study of over 15,000 adults who were recruited in Scotland between 1972 and 1976 when aged 45-64 and have been followed
up until death.

The team of researchers grouped the participants by occupational class (1 & 2, 3 non manual, 3 manual, and
4 & 5) and by weight (normal weight, overweight, moderately obese and severely obese).

During the follow-up period of 28 years, half the women died, including 51% (916) from heart disease and circulatory disease and 27% (487) from cancer.

The results show that women in the lower occupational groups were more likely to die of diseases of the heart and circulation, but not cancer. They were also more likely to be severely obese. The women who were severely obese had the highest death rates.

The researchers also found that, compared with the smokers in the overall study, the women who never smoked were much more likely to be overweight or obese. This suggests that the high smoking rates 35 years ago probably concealed the true extent of obesity in non-smoking women. The decline in smoking rates in recent decades may have contributed to the increase in overweight and obesity, suggest the authors.

The results have important implications. Although lifelong smoking is clearly responsible for much higher mortality rates, obesity has probably been a significant contributor to premature mortality for some time.

Since obesity is more common in disadvantaged groups, it may contribute to health inequalities and subsequently increase the burden on health and social services.

It is important to also recognize that women who never smoke and are not obese have relatively low mortality rates, regardless of their social position. Smoking is a much stronger risk factor for mortality than most other risk factors, including obesity.

Story Source:
BMJ-British Medical Journal

Journal Reference:
"Cause specific mortality, social position, and obesity among women who had never smoked: 28 year cohort
study" British Medical Journal, 2011;

This article is for informational and educational purposes only, and is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Consult with your doctor or healthcare professional for medical and nutrition advice