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Obese risk chance of short life

According to a study released yesterday, researchers have confirmed that overweight people have a higher chance of premature death, but University students have multiple options to keep their figures slim, Student Health officials said.

The study of more than one million healthy Americans was performed by the American Cancer Society and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers found a direct correlation between obesity, as measured by Body Mass Index, and higher rates of cancer and heart disease.

Biology Prof. Reginald H. Garrett said there are several reasons why obese people have higher rates of heart disease.

One reason is that blood must go through "more miles of circulation," as the obese have more body tissue, Garrett said.

People who are overweight also tend to get plaque deposits in their arteries, he said, leading to blockage and heart attacks.

He added that the connection between obesity and cancer is not quite as clear, but one explanation is that carcinogens build up in fatty tissue, and since the overweight have more fatty tissue, they have more cancerous agents in their system.

Susan Del Gobbo, a clinical nutritionist at the Elson Student Health Center, said the University offers many options for students interested in weight control.

Programs include individual counseling with nutritionists at Student Health and lectures by the staff of nutritionists there, Del Gobbo said.

She said some students also find that body image can be "very tied up in their psychological well-being" as well as their physical health.

She added that one thing students can do to assure they keep their weight within a healthy level is to be sure to get regular exercise.

"I think it's one of the healthiest avenues a U.Va. student can choose," Del Gobbo said.

But she also said the best indication of health is not a person's weight, but a measurement that compares lean muscle mass to fat mass, such as the Body Mass Index, which was used in the study.

She added that even those with a high BMI should not be too alarmed, as long as they have low blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

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