An autopsy report for the Grammy-Award-winning gospel singer Mandisa Lynn Hundley revealed the former “American Idol” star died from complications of severe obesity.
On Tuesday, People magazine reported Mandisa died in April at just 47 years old after struggling with class III obesity.
“The report said the star was found dead in her home by friends on April 18, and that she ‘was last known alive approximately three weeks’ earlier,” read the magazine. “Her manner of death is listed as natural.” But should wealthy developed nations such as the United States accept death from a preventable condition as “natural?”
The Cleveland Clinic characterizes class III obesity, formerly designated “morbid obesity,” as an individual who “has a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher or a BMI of 35 or higher and is experiencing obesity-related health conditions.” According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), life expectancy for women in the United States is more than 80 years. In other words, Mandisa died more than 30 years younger than she otherwise might have had she not suffered from severe obesity.
Does that mean Mandisa died from personal neglect? No. A self-professed Zumba fan, the five-time Grammy nominee was certainly active but most likely followed bad nutrition guidelines having grown up in the era of the low-fat diet craze. Fat storage is determined by complex interactions between hormones and enzymes that have far more to do with diet than exercise.
Millions of other Americans now living with obesity and chronic disease
