A new study result showed that obesity was a leading cause of early death in American women. This was true for women who did not smoke and come from the low-income group. The study was conducted with 3600 women in the age group between 45 years and 64 years and were studied were twenty-eight years. In addition, all the women were non-smokers.

Results of the study

During the twenty-eight years of the study, almost fifty percent of the women passed away. Cardio vascular illness caused 916 deaths (fifty-one percent) while cancer was the cause for the death of 487 women (27 percent). In addition, the study concluded that obese women who were financially better situated were at a lower risk than obese women belonging to the low-income category were. Moreover, women who were severely obese had a higher rate of death in comparison to women (non-smokers) who were not suffering from obesity. The study also found that obese women working for low-income jobs were more at risk due to cardio vascular death when compared with obese women working in high-income jobs. However, this conclusion was not found to be correct for deaths caused due to cancer.

Non-smokers are prone to obesity
The study also concluded that the probability of obesity in women who have never smoked in their lives was higher than women who had smoked during their lives. Therefore, this shows that the high number of smokers during the past years had obscured the possibilities of obesity in women. However, the number of women who smoke has reduced over the years because more awareness about the deadly side effects of smoking has increased. The reduction in the number of smoking women has increased the number of women who are facing the risks associated with over-weight and obesity.

The study does act as propaganda for smoking
However, the researches of this study warn that the conclusions must not encourage women to take up smoking. The authors say that the risks associated with smoking are much more dangerous than the risks associated with over-weight and obesity. The number of deaths caused due to smoking are higher than the number of deaths caused due to women suffering from obesity. An editorial by Professor Johan Mackenbach, which accompanied the study warned from women taking up smoking due to the results found in this study.