The Myth of Healthy Obesity
Authors: James O. Hill, Holly R. Wyatt
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2013)

EditorialsDecember 3, 2013The Myth of Healthy ObesityJames O. Hill, PhD and Holly R. Wyatt, MDJames O. Hill, PhDFrom Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado. and Holly R. Wyatt, MDFrom Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-159-11-201312030-00016 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail In this issue, Kramer and colleagues' meta-analysis provides strong evidence that "healthy obesity" is a myth (1). This evidence fuels the debate about the existence of a subset of obese persons who are unlikely to have long-term, negative health effects and should not be targeted for treatment (2). The review identified 8 studies that included a total of 61 386 persons followed long enough to investigate the associations of body mass index (BMI) and metabolic status with total mortality and cardiovascular events.Not surprisingly, the evidence showed that metabolically healthy nonobese persons (the reference group) had the lowest risk for these ...References1. Kramer CK, Zinman B, and Retnakaran R. Are metabolically healthy overweight and obesity benign conditions? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2013;159:758-69. LinkGoogle Scholar2. Sims EA. Are there persons who are obese, but metabolically healthy? Metabolism. 2001;50:1499-504. [PMID: 11735101] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Flegal KM, Kit BK, Orpana H, and Graubard BI. Association of all-cause mortality with overweight and obesity using standard body mass index categories: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2013;309:71-82. [PMID: 23280227] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Bray GA. Medical consequences of obesity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004;89:2583-9. [PMID: 15181027] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Puhl RM and Heuer CA. Obesity stigma: important considerations for public health. Am J Public Health. 2010;100:1019-28. [PMID: 20075322] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Wyatt HR. Update on treatment strategies for obesity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013;98:1299-306. [PMID: 23443815] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Hill JO, Thompson H, and Wyatt H. Weight maintenance: what's missing? J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105:S63-6. [PMID: 15867898] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Ortega FB, Lee DC, Katzmarzyk PT, Ruiz JR, Sui X, Church TS, et al. The intriguing metabolically healthy but obese phenotype: cardiovascular prognosis and role of fitness. Eur Heart J. 2013;34:389-97. [PMID: 22947612] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Hill JO, Wyatt HR, Reed GW, and Peters JC. Obesity and the environment: where do we go from here? Science. 2003;299:853-5. [PMID: 12574618] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M13-2515.Corresponding Author: James O. Hill, PhD, Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, University of Colorado, Box C263, 12348 East Montview Boulevard, Aurora, CO 80045; e-mail, [email protected].Current Author Addresses: Drs. Hill and Wyatt: Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, University of Colorado, Box C263, 12348 East Montview Boulevard, Aurora, CO 80045. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoAre Metabolically Healthy Overweight and Obesity Benign Conditions? Caroline K. Kramer , Bernard Zinman , and Ravi Retnakaran Metrics Cited byMetabolically Healthy Overweight and ObesityGerson T. Lesser, MD December 3, 2013Volume 159, Issue 11Page: 789-790KeywordsAlgorithmsAsthmaBariatric surgeryBehaviorBody mass indexCardiovascular disease riskCardiovascular diseasesHealth care providersLower back painMedical risk factorsObesityOrthopedicsOverweightQuality of lifeRenal diseasesSkin infectionsSleep apneaType 2 diabetesWeight gainWeight loss ePublished: 3 December 2013 Issue Published: December 3, 2013 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2013 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...