Little extra weight adds extra years to life: Study
Reported June 24, 2009
Toronto, June 24: That little extra bulge, not to be mistaken for obesity though, can add a few precious years in your life, suggests a new study.
The study was jointly conducted by the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland State University, Oregon Health & Science University, and McGill University.
For the purpose of the study, 11,326 Canadian citizens were examined. The study entailed an analysis of the link between the body mass index [a number, derived by using height and weight measurements, that gives a general indication of whether or not weight falls within a healthy range.] (BMI) and the death rate. Spanning a 12-year period, the study used data from the National Population Health Survey.
The study termed a BMI between 25 and 30 as overweight and a BMI of 30 and above as obese.
The results of the study revealed that people who were too thin had a 70 percent more chance of an early death than people of normal weight. Likewise, enormously overweight people were 36 percent more likely to die prematurely.
Researcher David Feeny from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research said of the studys results, It’s not surprising that extreme underweight and extreme obesity increase the risk of dying, but it is surprising that carrying a little extra weight may give people a longevity advantage.
People advised to refrain from gaining weight
The researchers cautioned that the findings should not propel normal weight people to try and put on some extra weight.
Study co-author Mark Kaplan, a professor of community health at Portland State University, explained, It may be that a few extra pounds actually protect older people as their health declines, but that doesn’t mean that people in the normal weight range should try to put on a few pounds.”
Kaplan highlighted the adverse medical conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol linked with obesity to dissuade people from attempting to gain additional weight.
Kaplan accepted that the study looked at mortality only and the aspect of quality of life was not taken into consideration. He noted that people who opt for a healthy lifestyle, eat nutritiously and exercise on a regular basis also enjoy better health.
Identical results from a previous study
The results of the present Canadian study conform to the findings of an earlier study conducted in the U.S. and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2005.
The American study had revealed that overweight people live longer than those having normal weight.