Body Mass Index and Mortality in a Very Large Cohort: Is It Really Healthier to Be Overweight?

CONTEXT: and above (Grade 3). Studies consistently show higher mortality for underweight and Grade 2 or 3 obesity, but results conflict for the overweight category and Grade 1 obesity. OBJECTIVE: To study 30-year risk of death related to baseline BMI. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study in a multiracial population of 273,843 persons using logistic regression with 7 covariates (sex, age, race-ethnicity, education, marital status, smoking, alcohol intake). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mortality risk by baseline BMI. RESULTS: or higher = 2.7 (2.4-3.0). Disparities existed regarding age, race/ethnicity, cause of death, and interval to death. CONCLUSION: Compared with persons with BMI defined as normal, persons who were underweight, overweight, and obese were at increased risk of death over 30 years.