Lugging around a few extra kilos? One of the largest studies to look at health and weight has found you don't have to be obese to raise your risk of premature death. Merely being overweight carries some risk, too.

Obesity increases the risk of death from heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. But whether being merely overweight contributes to an early death as well has been uncertain and controversial. Some research has suggested being a little pudgy has little effect or can even be a good thing.

The latest research, involving about 1.5 million people, concluded that healthy white adults who were overweight were 13 per cent more likely to die during the time they were followed in the study than those whose weight was in an ideal range.

"Having a little extra meat on your bones - if that meat happens to be fat - is harmful, not beneficial," said Dr Michael Thun of the American Cancer Society, senior author of the study.

The study's conclusions, published in today's New England Journal of Medicine, are similar to three other large studies, said the lead author, Amy Berrington of the National Cancer Institute.

"Now there's really a very large body of evidence which supports the finding that being overweight is associated with a small increased risk of death," Berrington said.


For their government-funded analysis, the researchers pooled 19 long-term studies of mostly white adults.

They used each person's body mass index - a measure of height and weight - and checked to see who died during the follow-up periods, which ranged from five to 28 years.

They focused on people who were healthy at the beginning of the studies, excluding smokers and those with heart disease or cancer because those factors affect death rates and researchers wanted to see the impact of weight alone.

The lowest death rate for healthy women who had never smoked was in the high end of the ideal body mass index range - between 22.5 and 24.9.

Compared with that group, those who were overweight had an increased risk of death of 13 per cent. The increased risk ranged from 44 to 88 per cent for those who were obese.

The morbidly obese were 2½ times more likely to die prematurely. The results for men were similar.

Most of the participants in the studies were white so the research focused on them. Results may be different in other ethnic and racial groups, Berrington said.

She said evidence suggests that for the same BMI level, African-Americans might have a lower risk of death and Asians a higher risk.

Two-thirds of US adults are either overweight or obese. Overweight begins at a BMI measurement of 25, obesity is at 30 and morbid obesity is at 40.

A 1.68 metre-tall person is considered overweight at 70 kilograms, obese at 84 kilograms and morbidly obese at 112.5 kilograms.

Because of its size and the diversity of studies included, the research "provides strong evidence against the position that it's a good thing for health to be overweight," Thun said.

The notion that a "bit of reserves" would help keep you from getting sick probably stems from the days when food was scarce, he said.

The latest research was launched after a controversial 2005 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that concluded being overweight didn't raise the risk of death; that report included smokers and those with pre-existing illnesses.

University of South Carolina obesity researcher Steven Blair said the results were consistent with other studies and the "massive effort" was commendable.

But he said there wasn't enough information available about fitness level or physical activity.

A proponent of the "fit and fat" theory, Blair said his research has shown that obese people who are tested and deemed fit did not face increased risks of dying.

"If we want to get to the bottom of the health hazards of overweight and obesity, we have to have better data on physical activity," Blair said.

"Until we do that, there's uncertainty of how important BMI is as an important predictor of mortality."

Jelly Belly. Love Handles. Dunlap Disease. Whatever you want to call it, the excess fat around your midsection that wiggles and jiggles in all the wrong places just isn't pretty. Not only is belly fat unattractive, it can be downright dangerous to your health. Extra fat carried around your abdomen can increase your risk of heart disease. With so many pills, potions and programs flooding the weight loss industry today, many people are left feeling just plain confused about how to effectively reduce belly fat.

The first thing you must know about how to effectively reduce belly fat is that there is no magic bullet when it comes to weight loss. Reducing body fat levels requires a three pronged approach that doesn't come from popping diet pills or gulping down foul tasting drinks. Belly fat also won't come off by trying to spot reduce only doing sit-ups or crunches. It's just not possible to spot reduce, so don't waste your time.

So, the question remains, how do you effectively reduce belly fat? Here is a safe, practical three pronged approach to get rid of belly fat.

1. Healthy Meals. Notice the word diet isn't part of the equation. That's because the word diet conjures up visions of carrots and celery and not much else. The word diet gives us nightmares of deprivation and hunger, and that's not the image we're looking for with permanent weight loss. Just because the word diet isn't used does not mean you're free to gorge on junk food at will. Healthy meals consist of lean protein, lots of vegetables, whole grains and some fruit. Your should consistantly choose foods that are as close as possible to their natural state.

2. Cardiovascular Exercise. Regular cardiovascular exercise will reduce body fat levels. Where should you start? Wallking is great cardio! Put your shoes on and get moving for at least 30 minutes per day. It doesn't matter how fast or how far you walk in the beginning, the most important point is that you're moving your body aerobically on a regular basis. If you don't enjoy walking then ride a bike, rollerskate, jog, run. Participate in whatever aerobic activity you enjoy.

3. Lift Weights. Yes, you did read that correctly! If you're wondering what lifting weights has to do with effectively reducing belly fat, then read on. Regular weight lifting has several beneficial effects for those folks trying to reduce their body fat levels. Muscles burn extra calories. The more muscle you carry on your frame, the more calories you burn in a 24 hour period which translates into extra fat burning power. Muscles take up about one third less space than fat. Muscles give you the power to carry on your daily activities more effectively and with energy to spare.

Learning how to effectively reduce belly fat isn't a difficult task. The three principle keys to getting rid of your gut rely on diet, cardiovascular exercise and weight lifting on a regular basis. Remember, you didn't sprout belly fat overnight and you can't get rid of belly fat in a day, but you can reduce belly fat if you're willing to put forth a bit of
effort.

People residing in different parts of world usually have the tendency to reduce weight by opting for diet plan or special exercise. Weight loss techniques and diet need to be considered in proportionate ratio to reduce unwanted pound of weight from the belly. Self determination and patience plays a vital role in reducing weight which need to be there with the person who is opting to lose unwanted weight from his or her body. Various options are available to reduce weight according to the convenience of the people who are interested to get relieved from unwanted body weight.

· Exercise –Walking is the effective and easy way to lose weight. Routine based walking on daily basis usually cut down the weight on daily basis. Fats usually get deposited under the belly or thighs as intake of calorie is much more than body use. Exercise can be considered as the best and easiest option to burn the calories and heart pumping burns the fats in a proper manner. Swimming, jogging or rigorous walking at brisk pace can lead to excessive heart pumping, ultimately leading to burning of unwanted pounds of weight from body parts specifically from thighs and belly.

· Water – It is considered to be one of the easy ways to lose weight. Most of the people in the world are not familiar with this weight losing technique. Water need to be taken in the body at regular intervals which can help in burning of fats, ultimately leading to reduction of unwanted weight pound from the body. Water in the body makes the person keeps away from food as it makes him feel less hungry. Water helps in cleansing the body system and there is no chance of false hunger due to dehydration.

· Delay –People need to control their eating habit when they come across with the food items which they like the most but eventually they gain weight by craving in greasy food items such as chips and candy bars which has large number of calories. The person need to be self determined and need to have patience when they are looking to lose unwanted weight from their body. They need to avoid eating snacks and other fried items when they feel hungry. The eating habits need to be controlled and meals need to be taken at the appropriate time when the hunger actually persists. Eating habits need to be controlled and if the people have patience and self determination, it is the easiest way to lose weight