Study: Obesity As Bad For Your Health As Smoking

clipped from www.huffingtonpost.com LONDON — Being obese can take years off your life and in some cases may be as dangerous as smoking, a new study says. British researchers at the University of Oxford analyzed 57 studies mostly in Europe and North America, following nearly one million people for an average of 10 to 15 years. During that time, about 100,000 of those people died. He said that obese people were also two thirds more likely to die of a heart attack or stroke, and up to four times more likely to die of diabetes, kidney or liver problems. They were one sixth more likely to die of cancer. Astrup worried that rising obesity rates may reverse the steep drops in heart disease seen in the West. "Obesity is the new dark horse for public health officials," he said. "People need to be aware of the risks they're taking when they gain weight."