The next time you ask the man at the counter to add that extra slice of cheese, think twice. If you were in an illusion that being over weight is not dangerous to your health as you do not smoke, here is news to burst that myth. A recent study suggests that being overweight or seriously underweight as a teenager limits life expectancy as much as smoking 10 cigarettes a day.

This study has changed our age old perception that smoking is more dangerous than being obese. In this fast moving world, where fast food has turned into our staple diet, this revolutionary study should be an eye opener. What is alarming is that obesity is seen more in teenagers than others. This is attributed to the lifestyle of many youngsters.

The research is based on the analysis of 46,000 men from the age of 18 to 38 years. They based their study on two parameters, namely, Body Mass Index and smoking habits. Through this process they found that being obese or smoking more than 10 cigarettes a day doubled the risk of premature death. The study also took into consideration people who were dangerously underweight. They established that those who had a Body Mass Index of less than 18.5 had no increased risk of dying early whereas those who had a Body Mass Index of 17 or less were at as much risk as their counterparts who were overweight. On this basis of this research, this team of experts concluded that being overweight, seriously underweight or smoking 10 or less raised the risk of early death by 30 per cent. Interestingly the fat non-smoker ran the same risk as the fat smoker.

This study has brought to light yet another moral responsibility on to the shoulders of the health department. Obesity needs greater emphasis and the message that it is as dangerous, if not more, as smoking needs to be conveyed to the public at the earliest. Further information can be gathered from the source article.