Fascinating new results indicate that "overweight" people live longer than others.
About two years ago, a group of federal researchers reported that overweight people have a lower death rate than people who are normal weight, underweight or obese. Now, investigating further, they found out which diseases are more likely to lead to death in each weight group.Linking, for the first time, causes of death to specific weights, they report that overweight people have a lower death rate because they are much less likely to die from a grab bag of diseases that includes Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, infections and lung disease. And that lower risk is not counteracted by increased risks of dying from any other disease, including cancer, diabetes or heart disease.
As a consequence, the group from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute reports, there were more than 100,000 fewer deaths among the overweight in 2004, the most recent year for which data were available, than would have expected if those people had been of normal weight.
Of course, the definition of "overweight" may be suspect, since it's based on the Body Mass Index which classifies muscular people as "overweight".
Researchers generally divide weight into four categories — normal, underweight, overweight and obese — based on the body mass index, which is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. A woman who is 5 foot 4, for instance, would be considered at normal weight at 130, underweight at 107 pounds, overweight at 150 pounds and obese at 180.
There's no information in the article as to whether or not the researchers attempted to differentiate between overweight people with excess fat and overweight people with lots of muscle. Is the latter category significantly large to affect the statistics? I've got no idea.
Of course overweight people die less...they don't move or go anywhere! If they do have an accident such as a car wreck, they have got layers of blubber to shield them from impact!
DD: Ooo, that's a good observation. Maybe "overweight" people are fat enough to cut out risky activities, but not so fat as to get lots of heart attacks.
I think it's far more important to add life to your years than to add years to your life.
Mark: I don't know about that, honestly. I have a very fun life (to me) and I am very risk adverse. Maybe it's a personality thing, but I think there are lots of ways to have a great life that won't shorten your years... in fact, living a good life will typically make your life longer.
Proverbs 3:13-18
13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
those who lay hold of her will be blessed.
Of course there are plenty of ways to enjoy your life without shortening it, but if the choice is between curbing the things that make your life fulfilling for you just so you can have a pulse for a somewhat longer time.. or having a somewhat shorter life and keeping it meaningful and fulfilling, I'd choose the latter.