Researchers at Queen's University have found what most of us already know: obesity hurts more than your looks.

A study published Monday in the Canadian Journal of Public Health shows the proportion of people who died between the ages of 20 and 64 increased steadily between 1985 and 2000.

It concludes that almost 10 per cent of all premature deaths in Canada can be associated with being overweight or obese, especially in Eastern Canada.

Obesity leads to serious health complications such as high blood pressure
Obesity leads to serious health complications such as high blood pressure

Health professionals say more people have to get the message that while obesity is not considered a disease, it can kill. The problem is health complications such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol that develop from being grossly overweight.

Obesity causes the heart to work faster, putting excess strain on muscles and making it more difficult to move, said Donna Schafer, chief of clinical nutrition at Montreal's Jewish General Hospital.

Doctors say exercise and good nutrition are crucial for a healthy life.

A study by Duke University in North Carolina shows that dealing with obesity doesn't need to be a daunting task. It says that overweight adults who are not on a diet need to do only a small amount of exercise to prevent weight gain.

The equivalent of 30 minutes of brisk walking per day is usually sufficient to maintain a steady weight.

The eight-month study shows that people who did no exercise gained an average of just over a kilogram. But 73 per cent of those who briskly walked 17 kilometres a week, or about 30 minutes a day, were able to maintain their weight or even lose a few pounds.

The most noticeable weight loss occurred in those who did the most vigorous exercise — jogging about 27 kilometres weekly.

But the study's authors caution that exercise without cutting calories is not the most effective way to lose weight. The study appears in Monday's issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.