NIH Radio
NIH Study Identifies Ideal Body Mass Index
Brief Description:
A study of nearly 1.5 million adults looking at deaths from any cause, found that a body mass index (BMI) between 20.0 and 24.9 is associated with lowest risk of death compared to other BMI levels. In addition, individuals who were overweight were 13 percent more likely to die during the study follow-up period (a median of 10 years) than those with a normal BMI.
Transcript:
Akinso: In a National Cancer Institute study researchers found that a body mass index (BMI) between 20 and 24.9 is associated with lowest risk of death compared to other BMI levels.
Berrington: We conducted the study to try and clarify the relationship between body mass index which is a measure of obesity and all cause mortality.
Akinso: Dr. Amy Berrington is the lead author of the study.
Berrington: In particularly we wanted to answer two questions—what is the optimal body mass index range and also what's the risk associated with being in the overweight category. That’s having a body mass index in the range of 25 to 30.
Akinso: Obesity has emerged as a leading public health concern in the U.S. It has been well established that people who are obese face increased risk of death from heart disease, stroke, and cancers. In this study, all participants were healthy non-Hispanic white men and women ages 19 to 84 who had never smoked. Dr. Berrington say researchers were able to evaluate a wide range of BMI and other characteristics that may influence the relationship between excess weight and risk of death.
Berrington: We studied white adults who were never smokers and who were healthy. And we found in this group that the optimal body mass index is in the range of 20-25. So for someone who is 5’9, that’s an ideal weight of between 135 and 170 pounds. We also found that being overweight, that’s having a body mass index between 25 and 30, is associated with a small increase risk of death. So these people had about a 10 percent higher mortality rate than the people in the normal BMI range.
Akinso: Researchers gathered information about BMI and other characteristics from questionnaires participants completed at the beginning of each study. Causes of death were obtained from death certificates or medical records. For more information on this study, visit www.cancer.gov. This is Wally Akinso at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
About This Audio Report
Date: 12/07/2010
Reporter: Wally Akinso
Sound Bite: Dr. Amy Berrington
Topic: BMI, Obesity, Overweight
Institute(s):
NCI
Additional Info: NIH study identifies ideal body mass index
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