By Stephen Beech

Fat people are less likely to die when they go under the knife than people of a "healthy" weight, according to new research.

The finding that overweight older adults face a lower risk of dying after major surgery challenges current weight guidelines for “normal” body mass index (BMI) for people awaiting an op, say American scientists.

The study suggests that people over 65 who are overweight may face a lower risk of death in the first 30 days following major elective surgery compared with those of normal BMI.

Researchers examined the results of surgery on older patients and found that being "overweight" - a BMI of 25 to 29.9 - was associated with the lowest short-term mortality rates.

However, "normal" and "underweight" patients had a significantly higher risk of

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