Study says heavier people are expected to be hospitalized more often

Australian study has stated despite lifestyle and other health-related factors, heavier people are more likely than lean ones to be hospitalized for a variety of conditions.

Amongst the middle-aged adults, the researchers found that every extra body mass index point equals to about 2.7 to 3.2 kilograms was tied to a 4% higher chance of being admitted to the hospital over a 2 year period.

Rosemary Korda, the lead author, from the Australian National University in Canberra said, “There is considerable evidence that severe obesity is bad for your health, resulting in higher rates of disease and consequently higher use of health services and higher death rates.”  

Rosemary also said, “What this study shows is that there is a gradual increase in risk of hospitalization as BMI increases, starting with people in the overweight range. In other words, even being overweight increases your risk.”   

Korda’s team found that among people considered in the normal range for BMI, there were 120 hospitalizations for every 1,000 men and 102 per 1,000 women each year.

For those considered severely obese, on the other hand, there were 203 hospitalizations for every 1,000 men and 183 per 1,000 women on average. Besides, overweight and moderately obese people had hospitalization rates somewhere in between.

The BMI of 25 to 30 is classified as overweight and obese is from 30 on up. The researchers also reported, extra weight seemed to play a role in people’s chances of being hospitalized for heart disease, diabetes, chest pain, arthritis and asthma.

According to the Centers for Diesease  Control and Prevention, just under 36% of American adults are obese and another 33% are overweight. 

Korda also said, “While increasing weight leads to increasing risk, this also means that a gradual decrease in weight is likely to gradually decrease your risk if you are overweight or obese, or even small decreases in weight may make a positive difference to your health.”