Hormonal
High BMI acts as a protective factor against breast cancer in females aged 20 to under 50 years, a phenomenon potentially explained by the 'obesity paradox'.
While high BMI is generally harmful, this specific protective effect on breast cancer in younger women is complex and may be due to hormonal factors or methodological issues. It does not justify maintaining a high BMI, as the overall burden of disease from high BMI is substantial.
Notably, high BMI was only associated with asthma DALYs among children aged <20 years and was a protective factor for breast cancer in females in the age groups from 20 to <50 years.
Why this rating
Based on global modeling, but the authors note potential methodological flaws or confounding factors.
Source
The global burden of disease attributable to high body mass index in 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: An analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study
Haijiang Dai et al. · PLoS Medicine · 2020
DOI 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003198
More from this paper
- High body mass index (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²) is a major global cause of disease burden, contributing to 2.4 million deaths and 70.7 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in females and 2.3 million deaths and 77.0 million DALYs in males in 2017, with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and kidney diseases being the leading causes.Strong
- High BMI is the leading cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and kidney diseases, accounting for 89.3% of all high-BMI-related DALYs.Strong
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