Being fat is still unhealthy, experts warn

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Being overweight may not kill you, but it could lead to obesity, U.S. health experts cautioned on Wednesday in response to research suggesting that being a bit heavy does not raise the risk of death.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that being overweight did not increase the risk of dying from heart disease and cancer.

It also was linked with a significantly decreased rate of death from non-cancer and non-heart related causes, such as accidents or diseases like Alzheimer's.

Experts noted that the research only looked at death rates, not overall health. It did find that obesity was associated with a significantly higher risk of death from heart disease.

"You should not take heart in the idea that if you are only overweight you are OK," said Dr. Robert Kushner, a professor of medicine at Northwestern University who specializes in nutrition and diet.

"Given time, there is a high likelihood you will be obese because people gain weight as they age in this country," Kushner said in a telephone interview.

He said many studies have shown that as one starts gaining weight, health risks develop. "We've done very well at medicating people to keep the medical complications at bay, which allows people to live longer," he said.

The study, conducted by Katherine Flegal of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looked at specific causes of deaths in relation to body mass index, a ratio of height and weight.