X-Message-Number: 33116 From: David Stodolsky <> Subject: Weight loss is harmful Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:18:09 +0100 I attended this event today and Professor Kim Overvad presented graphs showing that weight loss increased all-cause mortality. A stable weight was most healthful: http://foodfitnesspharma.ku.dk/events/symposiumdec10/Invitation_KostKr_ft_og_Helbred_symposium_171210.pdf/ I discussed this with him after the event. He said that the rodent studies probably had given misleading results, because the animals were "too well fed" in the lab and the caloric restriction corrected for that. It appears that the socially accepted ideal weight is too low for optimal health, especially for women. This brief review summarizes some of the investigations in this area: Effects of Intended Weight Loss on Morbidity and Mortality: Possible Explanations of Controversial Results. (2006) Tina Berentzen, MSc, and Thorkild I.A. Sorensen, DrMedSci. Nutrition Review, Vol. 64, No. 11 Long-term, population-based, observational studies have shown that intended weight loss does not always reduce the mortality associated with obesity. The effects of weight loss on mortality may be a balance between the effects of the loss of harmful abdominal and ectopic fat mass and the loss of beneficial peripheral subcutaneous fat mass and lean body mass. dss David Stodolsky Skype: davidstodolsky Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=33116