Those with a normal BMI but weight around the waist show increased mortality risk

New UK research published this week warns that those with a normal BMI but who carry their weight around the middle are still at a higher risk of mortality than those with a high BMI but who carry their weight elsewhere.

Carried out by Loughborough University, the new study measured 42,702 participants from 10 different years of the annual Health Survey for England and the Scottish Health Survey in order to see if a large-scale analysis would produce similar results to previous small-scale studies, which have already found that participants who have a normal BMI but with extra weight around the waist are at a higher mortality risk.

In the new study participants were categorized into six groups based on BMI and waist-hip ratio -- normal weight; normal weight with central obesity; overweight; overweight with central obesity; obese; or obese with central obesity.

The team found that their results did back up those found in the smaller studies, with only those in the normal weight with central obesity group and obese with central obesity group at an increased risk for all-cause mortality, when compared with the normal weight participants without central obesity.

In addition, all participants with central obesity, no matter what their BMI, were at increased risk for cardiovascular deaths.

Commenting on the findings one of the study's authors, Professor Mark Hamer, said, "It is yet further evidence that even if you are within a ‘healthy' BMI range but you carry weight around your stomach your health is still at risk. The message here is that if you do have central obesity, no matter what your BMI, you should take steps to reduce this fat."

The findings can be found published online in Annals of Internal Medicine.