3.3
Weight as a proxy for health Guidance from NICE, the Department of Health and the World Health Organisation all state that being overweight or obese is associated with a range of health conditions including coronary heart disease, type II diabetes, osteoarthritis and certain cancers. However, the Inquiry received evidence which challenges the notion that weight is always a reliable proxy or causal mechanism for poor health. This included research submitted to the Inquiry which suggests that many overweight people live longer and healthier lives than people classed as a ‘normal’ weight;57 that around one third of obese people are metabolically healthy58 and, with the exception of osteoarthritis and certain cancers, causal links between body fat (adiposity) and disease remain hypothetical.59
There is absolutely no evidence that talking about weight encourages people to sustain a healthy diet or exercise. Peter Muenning, Associate Professor, Columbia University
58
All Party Parliamentary Group on Body Image
The vast majority of people labelled as overweight or obese according to current definitions do not face any meaningful increased risk for early death. Paul Campos et al, International Journal of Epidemiology