Obesity found to be as much of a risk to health as smoking

January 7, 2010


GANNETT NEWS


America's obesity epidemic has become as big a health threat as smoking, a new study warns.

Researchers from Columbia University and the City College of New York say their calculation of the "Quality-Adjusted Life Years" -- or "Qalys" -- lost as a result of obesity is now equal to, if not greater than, those lost from smoking.

Qalys are a measure of health gain or loss associated with treatments, diseases or injuries.

The findings, reported in this week's American Journal of Preventive Medicine, were based on a national health survey of 3.5 million American adults. It suggests that, from 1993 to 2008, the proportion of smokers fell by 18.5 percent, while the proportion of obese people rose by 85 percent. Smoking caused more deaths, but obesity caused more illness.