Losing that fat will improve your health

There has been discussion about the role of obesity in overall health. Obesity often leads to higher blood pressure and higher cholesterol. Some have maintained that these two factors alone, independent of obesity, explain the health effects of obesity.

In effect, if you were overweight but maintained you blood pressure and cholesterol, perhaps there were no health effects.

A new study, summarized on MSNBC.com recently, refutes this idea:
Northwestern University researchers tracked 17,643 patients for three decades and found that being overweight in mid-life substantially increased the risk of dying of heart disease later in life — even in people who began the study with healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

High blood pressure and cholesterol are strong risk factors for heart disease. Both are common in people who are too fat, and often are thought to explain why overweight people are more prone to heart disease.

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