Extreme obesity cuts lifespan more than smoking-study

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Extreme obesity cuts lifespan more than smoking-study

By Sharon Begley NEW YORK (Reuters) - That obesity can cut life short by causing strokes and other illnesses comes as no surprise, but a study reported on Tuesday quantifies the toll: The most extreme cases cut a person's lifespan more than cigarettes. The analysis, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, is the largest-ever study of the effect of extreme obesity on mortality. It found that people who are extremely obese -- for someone of average height, carrying an extra 100 lb (45 kg) or more -- die 6.5 to 13.7 years earlier than peers with a healthy weight. The study, based on data from 20 large studies of people in the United States, Sweden and Australia, comes as rates of obesity have soared.

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