High BMI indicative of reduced Longevity

In today's Lancet [Volume 373, Issue 9669, 28 March 2009-3 April 2009, Pages 1055-1056] is a commentary of the latest European study of body mass and longevity; the Prospective Studies Collaboration (PSC), with data from almost 900 000 participants, 57 prospective studies, and four continents, assesses the association between body-mass index (BMI) and total and disease-specific mortality. The study commentator states "it is clear that obesity, as defined by BMI, imposes a substantial toll on life expectancy and that people who have normal or mildly elevated bodyweight need other measurements to better assess their health risk in relation to their content and distribution of adipose tissue." Comment: This report will not stop the obese activists crying out that this study promotes discrimination but, like most activist chants, it is the individual behavior for the most part that results in obesity, even though the behavior often starts in infancy.