Eric J Jacobs, Christina C Newton, Yiting Wang, Alpa V Patel, Marjorie L McCullough, Peter T Campbell, Michael J Thun, Susan M Gapstur

DOI: 10.1001/archinternmed.2010.201

PURPOSE:

To examine the association between WC and mortality.

[Waist circumference (WC), a measure of abdominal obesity, is associated with higher mortality independent of body mass index (BMI)].

PROCEDURES:

o 48,500 men and 56,343 women, 50 years or older, in the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort were analyzed.

o A total of 9315 men and 5332 women died between 1997 and the end of follow-up in 2006.

o After adjustment for BMI and other risk factors, very high levels of WC were associated with an approximately 2-fold higher risk of mortality in men and women.

o The WC was positively associated with mortality within all categories of BMI.

CONCLUSIONS:

The analyzed results emphasize the importance of WC as a risk factor for mortality in older adults, regardless of BMI.

IN PLAIN ENGLISH:

Obesity is naturally correlated to poor health and consequently a shorter lifespan. Possessing adipose fat in the form of subcutaneous fat (below the skin/above the muscle) in itself is not as critical compared to possessing more visceral fat (around the internal organs) because high visceral fat contributes to greater waist circumference. Greater waist circumference (as opposed to the body mass index) indicates a higher mortality risk due to not only possessing high abdominal subcutaneous fat, but high levels of the more dangerous visceral fat.