Study Finds Obesity Trims Years Off Life Expectancy

A new study has found that moderate obesity, which is now common, reduces life expectancy by about three years, and that severe obesity can shorten a person’s life by 10 years. The study, published online in the journal The Lancet, followed nearly 900,000 men and women from around the world for an average of 10 to 15 years. Recruited from North America and Western Europe, most people were age 46 when the study started. About 100,000 died during the study period, making it the largest-ever investigation of how obesity affects mortality. But the study also showed continuing to smoke is as dangerous as doubling body weight, and three times as dangerous as moderate obesity.