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A recent article on WebMD reveals there is finally good news for those who are overweight. They have a tendency to outlive those who are underweight, normal weight, or obese.
Based on the body mass index (BMI) scores, compared to people who are normal weight, underweight people were 73% more likely to die. Extremely obese and obese had about the same risk of death at 36% more likely to die an early death.
But get this – people who were classified as overweight were 17% less likely to die an early death than those of normal weight.
The example in the article showed that overweight meant up to thirty pounds heavier than the top normal weight range of a 5-foot, 5-inch adult. Obese was approximately 30 to 60 pounds above the normal weight person of that height.
Underweight versus overweight
Researchers noted those who were extremely underweight tended to indicate poor health and frailty in senior citizens. Although they tried to account for this in their findings, the poor health of the older adults participating in the study could explain the higher risk of death in those who were underweight.
There is a possibility that people who are overweight receive screenings for diabetes, are prescribed statins for high cholesterol and take drugs for high blood pressure more often than those who are of normal weight. Therefore, their chances of living longer would greatly increase.
Choose a healthy lifestyle
The bottom line? No matter what the findings of the studies show, the best step for anyone to take to increase longevity is to live a healthy lifestyle.
Healthy eating foods, regular exercise, good stress management, and seeking treatment for risk factors of chronic diseases are all important ways one can better manage their health whether overweight or of normal weight.
You can read the complete WebMD article by following this link.
