A new study has concluded that being too thin can be more deadly than being overweight or mildly obese—and with researchers concluding it is possible to be 'fat but fit'.
The scientists followed 85,761 individuals over five years, during which time eight per cent of participants (7,555) died.
Of the participants 81.4 per cent were female and the median age at the beginning of their study was 66.4 years old.
Danish scientists found that people who were overweight or slightly obese were no more likely to die than those in the upper healthy BMI range of 22.5 to 25.
According to ScienceDaily, who published the initial findings, this is
'a phenomenon sometimes referred to as being metabolically healthy or "fat but fit".'
The fat but fit category included people with a BMI ranging between 25 and 30—who are technically overweight—and people with a BMI of 30 to 35 whose weight puts them in the lower end of the obese range.
In contrast, their analysis found people in the underweight category—which is classed as a BMI of 18.5 and under—were 2.7 times more likely to have died than the reference population.
Interestingly even those in the lower end of the healthy range with a BMI of 18.5 to 20.0 were two times as likely to die.
A new study by Danish scientists has revealed being too slim could send you to an early grave
She explained: 'One possible reason for the results is reverse causation—some people may lose weight because of an underlying illness.
Similarly, those in the middle of the healthy range with a BMI of a 20.0 to 22.5 were 27 per cent more likely to have died.
However, a BMI in the range of 35 to 40.0—known as class 2 obese, and is the category between obese and severely obese—had a 23 per cent increased risk of death.
Lead researcher, Dr Sigrid Bjerge Gribsholt of Aarhus University Hospital, explained there are several considerations to keep in mind when looking at the data.
'In those cases, it is the illness not the low weight itself that increases the risk of death, which can make it look like having a higher BMI is protective.
'Since our data came from people who were having scans for health reasons, we cannot completely rule this out.'
But, she added: 'It is also possible that people with higher BMI who live longer—most of the people we studied were elderly—may have certain protective traits that influence the results.
'Still, in line with earlier research, we found that people who are in the underweight range face a much higher risk of death.
Obesity costs the NHS billions every year: By specific health condition heart failure was the costliest per patient, tallying at just over £3,650 and £4,320 between different weight classes. This was followed by kidney disease, costing between £2,900 and almost £4,200, and cardiovascular disease, coming in at nearly £2,700 at just shy of £3,500
Their fresh research will be presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetics in Vienna, Austria.
Their findings follow a study last month that found slim people may still be at risk of a deadly heart attack because of hidden fat that accelerates aging of the heart.
The dangerous fat—known as visceral fat—builds up deep inside the body, wrapping around the liver, stomach and intestines.
Unlike the fat you can see and pinch, it is invisible from the outside, meaning many people who appear slim may still be carrying harmful amounts.
Researchers found those with higher levels of it showed signs their hearts and blood vessels were aging more quickly.
The findings, published in the European Heart Journal, also suggest that body shape may be more important than weight alone when it comes to heart health.
Men who carried fat around the belly in an 'apple-shaped' body type were much more likely to show accelerated heart ageing.
By contrast, 'pear shaped' women genetically predisposed to storing fat around their hips and thighs—known as gluteofemoral fat—appeared to have healthier, younger hearts.
The government has previously said that obesity alone costs the NHS £6.5billion every year, with the condition also being the second biggest preventable cause of cancer.
An analysis in 2023 found average patient costs the NHS at least £1,000 in healthcare costs per year.
It came after another study, published the same year, found Britain's ballooning obesity crisis was now costing the nation nearly £100billion per year.
