Overweight is healthiest!!!

tuckerrj

Read it and weep, all you jokers with 5% bodyfat:

http://healthland.time.com/2013/01/02/being-overweight-is-linked-to-lower-risk-of-mortality/

fizzletto

Don't know about that... I'd live longer but I'd die unhappy!

DrMAvDPhD

Flegal and her co-authors suggest that it’s possible that overweight and obese people get better medical care, either because they show symptoms of disease earlier or because they’re screened more regularly for chronic diseases stemming from their weight, such as diabetes or heart problems. There is also some evidence that heavier people may have better survival during a medical emergencies such as infections or surgery; if you get pneumonia and lose 15 lbs, it helps to have 15 lbs to spare, for example.

Yeah, I could see it. But I'll just stay at a "healthy" BMI and make sure to get a check-up every year :-)

snowbike

This study does not take into account BF.
It is based on BMI.
I know people who are low bodyfat who are classifed as obese using BMI.

Matt_Wilken

SoDamnHungry

Ugh, how does he live with himself?

Matt_Wilken

Ugh, how does he live with himself?

Don't worry according to a recent study he won't live long

HotDolphinMama

Being healthy, but having a little "extra" is an advantage - if you have pneumonia or go on Survivor! Otherwise, I don't see it. As for the MD screening more often, or in more detail, that might be true - however - as a general rule individuals that are overweight are less inclined to go for yearly checkups, etc., for that reason alone. Not to mention that they know every time they step foot in a MD office they have to hear the lecture about how everything that is wrong with them stems from their weight issues!!!
Sorry - but this struck a nerve.
If you believe this, more power to you. If you think this is validation for being overweight, more power to you. If you posted this in irony, sorry to take it so serious. But, there are people out there - and on this site - who will take this crap and run with it.

crystalflame

I don't really want a 6% chance of living longer if I'm going to be unhappy. Also, the article specifically says overweight people live longer, but that they didn't look into how healthy they were when they died. It's possible a lot of these people were on all sorts of medications that helped extend their life. I'll take the quality of life that comes with being a normal weight and in shape, thanks very much.

ubermensch13

Reason magazine published a similar article about 7 years ago, it was promptly destroyed by the scientific community....

bathsheba_c

They really need to break that down by age. I suspect that someone who becomes overweight in their 20s has a very different prognosis from someone who becomes overweight in their 50s or 60s from their metabolism slowing down.

Vailara

Thank you for posting this. I've read similar articles in the past, and it's very encouraging, particularly to those of us who are unlikely to reach and maintain a "healthy" BMI.

I don't think there's a danger of slim healthy-minded people aspiring to be overweight because of articles like this. As people above have said, they feel that they would be less happy (with the way they looked?) even if they were healthier at a heavier weight. For myself, though, I think I'd probably be happier, being able to eat that little bit more. As the article says, "overweight" is more average than big. Around 140lb would be overweight for me, but I wouldn't feel particularly big at that weight.

As others have said, the risks and benefits might be different at different ages, and for people with different builds, etc.

tuckerrj

No REAL point to make, other than BMI is a guideline and not a reflection of someone's health. Get this, when Arnold Schwarzanegger won Mr. Olympia, he was OBESE by BMI standards at 6'2" and 235 lbs.