According to a study, there can be higher risk of dying among African American women if they have a larger waist or are obese.

About 33,916 women were examined for their body mass index and waist circumference as they were a part of the ongoing Black Women's Health Study. It should be noted that these women were not smokers and did not have a history of a cardiovascular disease or cancer.

BMI of about 20 or more in women led to an 18 per cent more chance of dying, as seen in the 13 years of follow-up.

Normal weight is when the BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9, while 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and obesity is confirmed when the BMI is 30 and above.

There was two times more chance of dying from a cardiovascular disease in overweight women and in women who were obese; this risk was three times more.

Waist circumference is taken into account to figure out obesity along with BMI which is generally used by health professionals to chart weight.

Lead author Deborah Boggs said, “The present findings indicate that the risk of death in black women increases with increasing BMI of 25 or higher, similar to the pattern in white populations.”