Optimal BMI

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

I had forgotten about the findings of this particular study, one of

the many papers coming out of the huge and very long-standing Nurses

Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. It found

a BMI between 18.5 and 21.9 to be best. (The middle of that range is

20·2.)

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" CONCLUSIONS: During 10 years of follow-up, the incidence of

diabetes, gallstones, hypertension, heart disease, colon cancer, and

stroke (men only) increased with degree of overweight in both men and

women. Adults who were overweight but not obese (ie, 25.0 < or = BMI

< or = 29.9) were at significantly increased risk of developing

numerous health conditions. Moreover, the dose-response relationship

between BMI and the risk of developing chronic diseases was evident

even among adults in the upper half of the healthy weight range (ie,

BMI of 22.0-24.9), suggesting that adults should try to maintain a

BMI between 18.5 and 21.9 to minimize their risk of disease. "

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PMID: 11434789 // July 2001

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Full abstract:

" Impact of overweight on the risk of developing common chronic

diseases during a 10-year period.

Field AE, Coakley EH, Must A, Spadano JL, Laird N, Dietz WH, Rimm E,

Colditz GA.

Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's

Hospital, 181 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Alison.Field@...

BACKGROUND: Overweight adults are at an increased risk of developing

numerous chronic diseases. METHODS: Ten-year follow-up (1986-1996) of

middle-aged women in the Nurses' Health Study and men in the Health

Professionals Follow-up Study to assess the health risks associated

with overweight. RESULTS: The risk of developing diabetes,

gallstones, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke increased with

severity of overweight among both women and men. Compared with their

same-sex peers with a body mass index (BMI) (calculated as weight in

kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) between 18.5 and

24.9, those with BMI of 35.0 or more were approximately 20 times more

likely to develop diabetes (relative risk [RR], 17.0; 95% confidence

interval [CI], 14.2-20.5 for women; RR, 23.4; 95% CI, 19.4-33.2 for

men). Women who were overweight but not obese (ie, BMI between 25.0

and 29.9) were also significantly more likely than their leaner peers

to develop gallstones (RR, 1.9), hypertension (RR, 1.7), high

cholesterol level (RR, 1.1), and heart disease (RR, 1.4). The results

were similar in men. CONCLUSIONS: During 10 years of follow-up, the

incidence of diabetes, gallstones, hypertension, heart disease, colon

cancer, and stroke (men only) increased with degree of overweight in

both men and women. Adults who were overweight but not obese (ie,

25.0 < or = BMI < or = 29.9) were at significantly increased risk of

developing numerous health conditions. Moreover, the dose-response

relationship between BMI and the risk of developing chronic diseases

was evident even among adults in the upper half of the healthy weight

range (ie, BMI of 22.0-24.9), suggesting that adults should try to

maintain a BMI between 18.5 and 21.9 to minimize their risk of

disease. "

Rodney.