Obesity Mortality Risk Concentrated In Most Severe Cases According to Study

Study Suggests Lower Mortality Risk For People Deemed to Be Overweight by Pam Belluck.  The New York Times.  January 1, 2012.

This report suggests that, in the aggregate,  the risk of obesity is concentrated in the highest obesity levels, that an otherwise healthy person who is overweight is at less risk and is not more likely to die than normal-weight people.  The article points to indicators of poor health (cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood sugar) that in combination with overweight point to need to lose weight.  Location of the pounds could be important with fat inside the belly worse than say fat on the thighs.  An expert interviewed suggested that, in the light of this and other studies, the body mass index (BMI) is not a complete measure of health.