Weight and Weight Change—Think About the Context

Chipkin comments on two studies that demonstrate how the question of an "obesity paradox" can be very tricky to answer. The study by Waring et al raises a question as to whether "all weight is created equal." Patients from central Massachusetts had their weight measured on admission when they almost certainly had excess extracellular water from heart failure. The second issue is whether "all weight change is created equal." The paradox reported by Myers et al was not really about obesity; the study compared those who gained versus those who lost weight among Veterans Administration subjects referred for exercise testing.