Research

Hormonal

Among people with diabetes and high glycemic control (HbA1c ≥7.1%), overweight BMI (25-29.9 kg/m2) is associated with significantly lower mortality risk compared to normal weight BMI.

If you have diabetes and your blood sugar levels are consistently high (HbA1c ≥7.1%), being slightly overweight (BMI 25-29.9) might actually be associated with a lower risk of death compared to being normal weight. This does not mean you should gain weight, but it suggests that aggressive weight loss might not be the primary goal for everyone with poorly controlled diabetes. Focus on stabilizing your blood sugar and overall health.

GoodQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Among participants in the higher tertile of HbA1c (≥7.1%), those with a BMI of 25–29.9 kg/m2 had a significantly lower risk of mortality than those with a BMI of 18.5–24.9 kg/m2.
Andy Menke et al. · BMJ Open · 2014

Why this rating

Stratified analysis within a large, well-adjusted cohort.

Source

The relationship of adiposity and mortality among people with diabetes in the US general population: a prospective cohort study

Andy Menke et al. · BMJ Open · 2014

DOI 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005671

cohort · n=2607Cited 13×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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