High BMI mostly affects wealthy women in developing countries

It is mainly wealthy women in developing countries that have high body mass indices (BMIs), a recent study has shown.

Conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), the study's findings suggest that an increase in obesity among the poor, which has already occurred in the UK and other wealthier countries, has not yet happened in developing nations.

S V Subramanian, lead author of the paper and associate professor in the department of society, human development, and health at HSPH, said that the findings have "serious policy implications".

"If being overweight is primarily concentrated among the rich, should precious public resources be targeted to reducing overweight or should they be devoted to policies that improve nutritional outcomes among the poor?" he added.

Last month, researchers from the Hospital Clinico Universitario Santiago in Spain found that children who have a higher than normal BMI can reduce their risk of developing high blood pressure by losing weight.

Have you calculated your BMI yet?