Obesity Leaves More Americans With Physical Limitations

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Obesity -- defined as a BMI over 30 -- was associated with increased cardiovascular disease mortality. When the two groups -- overweight and obesity -- were combined, the risk of death from diabetes or kidney disease was higher. And, obesity was associated with an increased risk of death from obesity-related cancers, such as breast cancer.

"The message here is that it's not just that if you're heavier, you're at a higher risk of death from all diseases. It's a little more complex than that," said the study's author, Katherine Flegal, a senior research scientist at the National Center for Health Statistics at the CDC.

More information

For advice on losing weight, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.