Does everything improve when you lose weight? Three misconceptions and truths about body weight

Is being underweight better than being overweight?

While weight loss may seem to improve health indicators, underweight is associated with increased mortality. A study involving people with a BMI below 23 found that being underweight is related to higher mortality rates.

According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), individuals with a BMI of 23.7 to 25.9 have a lower risk of hospitalization, treatment, and death, while underweight individuals with a BMI of 18.5 or below have a higher risk of complications.

 

2. Is weight a measure of health?

People with high body weight are often considered to be in poor health from a metabolic perspective. However, a research team from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and the University of Minnesota analyzed 24 studies and found that there is not always a significant correlation between weight loss and health improvement.

More than half of the people classified as overweight and more than a quarter of those classified as obese were in a normal state from a cardiovascular perspective. Meanwhile, 30% of those classified as having normal weight had abnormal cardiac metabolic indicators. Relying solely on weight to determine health has its limitations.

 

Is weight more important than healthy habits?

Focusing only on maintaining normal weight can lead to neglecting other necessary actions to stay healthy.

Even with a normal weight, poor health indicators can result from habits such as nutritional imbalance, lack of physical activity, smoking, and excessive drinking. The same applies when experiencing severe stress or feeling significantly depressed or anxious.

According to a paper published in the international journal 'Social Issues and Policy Review,' engaging in healthy behaviors is more closely associated with longevity than the numbers on a scale.

 

 

yun1245@wikitree.co.kr (Yoon Jang-yeon)

 

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Healthy dieting

Getting on the scale every day.

They say it doesn't help much.

 

Forming good habits is the more important part.