The Obesity Paradox

The term obesity paradox' refers to the observation that although obesity is a major risk factor in the development of cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease when acute cardiovascular decompensation occurs for example in myocardial infarction or congestive heart failure obese patients may have a survival benefit In addition it has been suggested that obese patients tend to fare better after certain surgical procedures such as coronary artery bypass surgery Moreover it appears that obese men with chronic hypertensive heart disease live longer than men of normal weight Mounting evidence shows that obesity alone may confer a survival benefit independent of age medical care or therapy Perhaps the definition of obesity needs to be revisited and it is also possible that all fat is not equal