New Delhi, April 7
People who are obese, particularly severely obese, could be at an increased risk of experiencing 16 common health conditions including obstructive sleep apnoea, Type 2 diabetes, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, according to a study.
Severe obesity, also known as Class III obesity or morbid obesity, is defined by a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher, or a BMI of 35 or higher with obesity-related health conditions. It is known to pose significant health risks.
Obesity is a known risk factor for adverse health outcomes involving multiple organ systems.
However, previous studies have analysed conditions individually, limiting understanding of obesity's total health burden. External validity has also been limited by the underrepresentation of individuals with class III obesity and of diverse demographic groups, said the researchers from the Johns Hopkins University in the US.
In the new study, they examined data from 270,657 participants from the US.
They found that the prevalence and incidence rates increased progressively with higher obesity classes for all 16 health outcomes.
Class I, II, and III obesity was observed in 21.2 per cent, 11.3 per cent, and 9.8 per cent of participants, respectively.
Obesity was strongly associated with all incident outcomes, with graded associations across higher classes of obesity.