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Article: Weighing the risks. (using body mass index to evaluate health risk factors)(includes related information)
- Article from:
- Newsletter-People's Medical Society
- Article date:
- October 1, 1995
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 People's Medical Society, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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American bodies are growing larger at the same time the body of evidence linking excessive weight to numerous health problems is growing. According to a March 1995 Harris poll, 71 percent of American adults are overweight, up from 64 percent in 1990. Obviously, this is bad news. Unfortunately, the news is getting worse. Recent studies show that even people whose weight is within the "normal" range may be at increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. Why? Because the current U.S. weight guidelines may be misleading.
The guidelines, established in 1990, increased the range of desirable weights for men and women 35 and older to correspond with higher body mass ...