As we round the corner after Thanksgiving, many Americans will shift into high gear, heading down the straightaway toward tacking on an extra few pounds during the infamous season of holiday weight gain. But a new meta-analysis of 19 long-term studies consisting of approximately 1.5 million white adults finds that those who are overweight have a 13 percent increased risk of death. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the study researchers found that the increased chance of mortality was even higher for obese individuals, ranging from 44 to 88 percent, while those who were morbidly obese were 2.5 times more likely to die prematurely. Excluding smokers and anyone with heart disease or cancer from the study, the researchers used measurements of Body Mass Index (BMI) to classify the participants’ weight status: 25-29 for overweight, 30-39 for obese, and 40 or more for morbidly obese.
Upon hearing the study results, ACSH’s Dr. Elizabeth Whelan thought the findings were a bit counter-intuitive. “Some folks have the impression that as you get older, it’s good to have a few extra pounds packed on, but apparently, that’s not the case. It’s quite phenomenal to think that 10 to 15 years ago, we didn’t even think of obesity as a major factor in disease, and now we’re in the midst of a national epidemic.”
Though an increase of 13 percent may not sound large, ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross says that this number is quite significant when referencing a study that involved over a million people. “If we saw a 13 percent increased risk of some association in a retrospective diet study consisting of only a couple hundred subjects, then I’d say those statistics are not as concerning, but in this study, 13 percent indicates a significantly elevated risk.”
In more surprising dietary health news, a new meta-analysis of a decade’s worth of data published in the British Journal of Cancer finds that there is not persuasive evidence that consumption of the recommended five portions of fruits and vegetables decreases the risk of cancer. In fact, the authors say, the only diet-related factors that definitely do significantly affect cancer risk are obesity and alcohol. Even a large intake of fruits and vegetables will only reduce the chances of getting cancer by a maximum of 10 percent. These results are in accordance with previous study findings, such as one published in April by a research team at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York that found that cancer rates were reduced by only three percent for every additional two proportions of fruits and vegetables a subject consumed each day.
Dr. Ross says that the results are important since both private and governmental public health authorities have long promoted the idea that the more servings of fruits and vegetables you consume, the lower your risk of cancer. “There are now little data to support that point of view. Still, these foods are important to a healthy and well-rounded diet that can help combat obesity.”
There’s no denying that people should continue to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables since they’re low-calorie and generally nutrient-rich, but “we want to debunk the myth that the more you eat them, the lower your risk of cancer will be,” says Dr. Whelan.
Simply stated, eat your apples and spinach to lose weight, not reduce your risk of cancer. And don’t forget to exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle!