New study: This is why obesity is less dangerous for some

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If you have a genetic predisposition to a high BMI, obesity is not as dangerous, a new study shows. It is important to look at the overall picture, says researcher Isa Karlsson at the Karolinska Institutet. At the group level, the link between obesity and cardiovascular disease is strong – but the link is more complicated than first thought. – I think we need to get better at not just focusing on BMI but a holistic view of health, says Ida Karlsson, assistant lecturer in genetic epidemiology at the Karolinska Institute and one of the researchers behind the study. Protective genes A twin study with 15,000 twins born before 1958, where it was possible to investigate whether they had a predisposition to high BMI, shows that some had a higher sensitivity to obesity – but that, on the other hand, it does not have to be as dangerous for them. It seems that if you have a predisposition to a high body weight, the body is also better at handling it, and not developing cardiovascular diseases to the same extent. Twice as strong connection It works the same in the other direction, the study shows. If you do not have a genetic predisposition to high body weight, you are also more vulnerable to the diseases linked to it. The conclusion, published in Eclinical Medicine, was that the link between obesity and cardiovascular disease was twice as strong among those who had a genetic predisposition to a low BMI, compared to those whose obesity had mainly genetic factors. Watch the researcher comment on the study in the clip above.

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