Now that people everywhere have come to accept the increased risk of heart disease that comes with an apple-shaped body, new research says it’s all fat, no matter where it sits, that ups the risk for many chronic diseases, including those of the cardiovascular system.  Even when the body mass index (BMI) of two very similar individuals is compared, the individual with the largest waist will likely be at higher risk of developing chronic illness than the individual with the smaller waistline.

People with an apple-shaped body carry excess body fat around the abdomen.  Pear-shaped people carry excess weight in their hips and thighs.

The German Institute of Human Nutrition’s Dr. Tobias Pischon led the research team through a study involving 360,000 people in nine member-nations of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).  The ‘New England Journal of Medicine’ published the study findings in its November 13 issue.

After a 10-year follow-up study period, just fewer than 15,000 study participants had died.  This rate of death was measured against weight, height, physical activity level, tobacco and alcohol consumption, and education of all study participants.

Using parameters established by the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, BMI (a mathematical calculation based on height and weight) was established.  The institute categorizes all BMIs between 25 and 29.9 as overweight.  Anything above 30 is obesity.

The Pischon study revealed men with a BMI of 25.3 had the lowest risk of death while those with BMIs of 30 to 35 were at 24% higher risk of death than men with healthy BMI scores.

Women with BMI measured at 24.3 were the least likely to die but those between 30 and 35 showed an increase of 17% in their risk of death.

Taking these findings one step further, the research team measured waistlines.  The risk of death was 200% higher in the men with the largest waistlines compared to those of healthy physique.  The largest-waisted women were at 78% higher risk of death than leaner women.  Even people within the normal BMI range who had large waistlines were at higher risk of death than someone with a similar BMI but a smaller waistline.

In confirmation of the Pischon findings, Dr. Marc Siegal, internist at New York University’s Langone Medical Center, says all fat causes problems that can include diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, with fat around the middle being the most basic sign of trouble.