Citation

Godin A, Redpath M, Guay JP, Sauvageau A. J. Forensic Leg. Med. 2010; 17(5): 261-264.

Affiliation

Laboratoire de sciences judiciaires et de médecine légale, 1701, Parthenais street, 12th floor, Montreal (Quebec), Canada H2K 3S7.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jflm.2010.03.002

PMID

20569952

Abstract

Despite a dramatic increase in the worldwide prevalence of overweight and obese people in recent years, the implication of this epidemic on forensic practice has barely been studied. Over a one-year period, all autopsy cases performed on adult victims in the province of Quebec (Canada) were retrospectively reviewed (582 cases). In the forensic population, manner of death differed in relation to BMI: underweight people most commonly died of natural causes, whereas normal weight, overweight and obese individuals most commonly died as the result of an accident. Results also revealed an over-representation of underweight victims and under-representation of overweight victims in the forensic population compared to the population of both Quebec and Canada. The latter is particularly worrisome considering it suggests that overweight corpses are less frequently referred for an autopsy. It is important to emphasize to forensic teams that just because an obese person is more likely to suffer from health problems that can lead to death, does not mean a natural death has occurred. Obese people are equally susceptible to unnatural causes of death and it is crucial to maintain an adequate level of suspicion while investigating the cases of these individuals.

Language: en