Excess Fat Around the Waist May Increase Death Risk For Women

A recent study from Harvard and the NIH reveals that women with excess fat around their waists have a greater chance of dying early from cancer compared to women with smaller waistlines. Having fat around the waist increases the risks for several health problems including diabetes and heart disease. Having abdominal obesity, despite not being ‘overweight’, can lead to women’s early death. Since there is little data on the relationship between abdominal obesity and death, scientists researched nearly 44,000 white registered nurses to obtain some data over 16 year period through measurements and surveys. As years progressed, the women died from various reasons including cancer and heart disease. With that research, scientists concluded this theory: women with waist size 35 inches or higher were two times more likely to die from heart disease and cancer compared to women with a waist size less than 28 inches.
This article is important because it raises an important issue in our society: obesity. Over 50% of American adults have abdominal obesity which should encourage scientists to research more on this condition. By educating the public about maintaining healthy weight through various programs, abdominal obesity will reduce significantly in the population.

http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2008/niddk-07.htm