Healthy Living
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Can being overweight help you live longer?
user
We've been so
conditioned to fear being overweight that any good news about
carrying a few extra pounds seems suspect at best. But here you go:
A new study out last week suggests that
being overweight may help you live longer. This doesn't
mean obese, just slightly pudgy--a
body mass index of 25 to
29.9.
For those of us who love to eat, this is good news. Of course, it
doesn't mean stuffing yourself full of doughnuts every day
(although there's nothing wrong, in my opinion, with the
occasional doughnutfest). It just means being able to truly enjoy a
wide variety of foods without slavishly worrying about
calories.
Surprise! These 10 foods are actually healthy to
eat.
But what I'm really looking forward to are all the diet books
extolling the healthful virtues of packing on the pounds. Now
that I can't wait to see.
Related:
Find out how eating less meat can cut cancer
risks.
More from BA's
The Conscious Cook:
Related: weight, weight, health, health, food, food
-
-
Posted by cindy Fri Jul 17, 2009 10:53am PDT
Why confuse people? skinny people and fat people die every day. Just live your life.
Report Abuse
-
Posted by Zeplin522 Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:49pm PDT
Well, my husband was always overwieght and had Type2 diabetes which
took his life at 52. I have always been tall and thin, and I'm still
here at 57, and very healthy. Think I'll keep going the way I am.
Report Abuse
-
-
Posted by Jacqueline Sat Jul 18, 2009 7:33am PDT
I don't think the French, who have the lowest heart disease and obesity rates in the world, would agree with this. This is just an excuse for people to be a little chubby and feel OK about it. It is FINE to be OK with it, but you should also know that it isn't the healthiest way to live.
Report Abuse
-
Posted by Anne Sat Jul 18, 2009 8:28am PDT
I think it's fine to be a little chubby, my friend eats fairly healthy and plays sports and she is still chubby, and she's been doing it for years. I think she is healthy and that's all that matters.
Report Abuse
-
Posted by Kikki Sat Jul 18, 2009 12:07pm PDT
I've discussed this same thing with my doctor. I am slightly overweight 23% BMI, but very active and very healthy. He advocates not dieting to achieve, what he called a subjective weight class, if you are healthy. The study did not advocate gaining weight to be more healthy or live longer, or eating highly saturated fatty foods to put on some pounds. It just found that being a little overweight was not that bad. It just goes to show how science and medical research can be twisted by those not qualified to quantify it. It like saying that a study that found sex good for your health advocated a hook-up with that stranger at the bar. There are always consequences.
Report Abuse
-
Posted by jello Sat Jul 18, 2009 12:40pm PDT
how? more cholesterol and harder to exercise... a bmi should be under 20
Report Abuse
-
Posted by NicoleD Sat Jul 18, 2009 12:50pm PDT
Ok a body mass of 25-29.9 is NOT overweight!!! Im apparently a 17 BMI, im underweight. Stupid society wants us to look the same, be the same, geez I mean come on, no wonder im underweight! stupid society!
Report Abuse
-
Posted by babyannstar29 Sat Jul 18, 2009 3:59pm PDT
The BMI is crap. It's a mathematical way to determine where food was lacking in Denmark 200 years ago. There is no true basis in medicine.
Report Abuse
