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Review
. 2004 Sep;94(9):1486-9.
doi: 10.2105/ajph.94.9.1486.

Estimating deaths attributable to obesity in the United States

Katherine M Flegal  1 , David F Williamson, Elsie R Pamuk, Harry M Rosenberg
Affiliations
Review

Estimating deaths attributable to obesity in the United States

Katherine M Flegal et al. Am J Public Health. 2004 Sep.

Abstract

Estimates of deaths attributable to obesity in the United States rely on estimates from epidemiological cohorts of the relative risk of mortality associated with obesity. However, these relative risk estimates are not necessarily appropriate for the total US population, in part because of exclusions to control for baseline health status and exclusion or underrepresentation of older adults. Most deaths occur among older adults; estimates of deaths attributable to obesity can vary widely depending on the assumptions about the relative risks of mortality associated with obesity among the elderly. Thus, it may be difficult to estimate deaths attributable to obesity with adequate accuracy and precision. We urge efforts to improve the data and methods for estimating this statistic.

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Comment in

  • Calculating deaths attributable to obesity.
    Hu FB, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Spiegelman D, Colditz GA. Hu FB, et al. Am J Public Health. 2005 Jun;95(6):932; author reply 932-3. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2005.062836. Am J Public Health. 2005. PMID: 15914810 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

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