People envied for their normal weight surprisingly face a higher death risk than the obese -- if they carry a prominent belly, according to latest research. "We knew from previous research that central obesity is bad, but what is new in this research is that the distribution of the fat is very important even in people with normal weight," said Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, senior study author and cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "This group has the highest death rate, even higher than those who are considered obese based on BMI, a height to weight ratio. From a public health perspective, this is a significant finding," said Lopez-Jimenez, according to a Mayo statement.