Gum disease may be linked with obesity

As if overweight people don’t already have enough on their plate, here’s another problem: gum disease.

US dental researchers have surveyed over 10,000 obese people and discovered that more than 50 per cent have severe periodontal disease.

But not all overweight individuals are at risk – only fat people with ‘low insulin resistance’ are affected. In this condition, blood glucose is turned into fat rather than energy (Townsend Lett Docs, 2002; October: 24).