Being Slightly Overweight May Lead To Longer Life 383
Hugh Pickens writes "Findings of a new study show that underweight people and those who are extremely obese die earlier than people of normal weight — but those who are only a little overweight actually live longer than people of normal weight. '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,' said one of the coauthors of the study. '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.' The study examined the relationship between body mass index and death among 11,326 adults in Canada over a 12-year period. The study showed that underweight people were 70 percent more likely than people of normal weight to die, and extremely obese people were 36 percent more likely to die. But overweight individuals defined as a body mass index of 25 to 29.9 were 17 percent less likely to die than people of a normal weight defined as a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9. The relative risk for obese people was nearly the same as for people of normal weight. The authors controlled for factors such as age, sex, physical activity, and smoking. 'Overweight may not be the problem we thought it was,' said Dr. David H. Feeny, a senior investigator at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research. 'Overweight was protective.'"
This is great news... (Score:4, Funny)
bullshit measuring index (Score:2, Funny)
bringing the health industry profits since 1830
Re:/.ers rejoice. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:But it's in CANADA (Score:5, Funny)
It's not that bad. The igloo I grew up in, in Edmonton, worked pretty good at insulating us against the cold.
I remember coming in off the ice-flow, after spending the day hunting sea-lions for food and fuel-oil, the igloo was so warm I had to pretty much strip off all my clothing.
But now that I've moved to Vancouver, where we've got these new-fangled things called 'houses', I find that I'm expected to remain mostly clothed both indoors and out. And my snowmobile only is useful a couple days a year.
Are you sure they live longer.... (Score:4, Funny)
...or is it just that it takes longer for friends and family of the slightly overweight people to realize the fact they are still on the couch is not normal.
Re:No survivors (Score:5, Funny)
That used to be true. Just look at anyone born before the early 20th century. 100% mortality rate. But with the rise of modern science and the marked decrease in pirates, we've slowly been reducing that rate.
If you look just at the stats for people born since 1980, you'll find a remarkable level of resistance to death, with death rates less than half of those who were born in the 1930's, so it's obvious that there have been significant improvements.
At this rate, not only will those born after 2030 never die, but by 2080, people will be living two, maybe even three lives at once, for eternity!
Re:BMI Is not a Good Measure (Score:5, Funny)
Better test would be to see how long it takes you to get winded screwing at a medium pace.
Are we talking Torx, phillips, flathead, or something else? I know I get breathless just thinking about it...
Re:But it's in CANADA (Score:5, Funny)
The ignorance of some humor is just shocking!
Of course Canadians have cars and central heating. How else would they get to and stay warm in their yurts? Although the heating is a tricky business for those who live in igloos, but they're just a smaller portion of the population. Only about 35% or so.
Re:But it's in CANADA (Score:3, Funny)
Sure, you'll be fine if you spend your entire life indoors. Which I'm guessing is what you'd do anyway, being on /.
Re:No survivors (Score:5, Funny)
I would say everyone is 100% likely to die.
Speak for yourself. I plan on living forever.
So far, so good!
Re:BMI is worthless (Score:5, Funny)
Big deal. I have 3 cases in the fridge right now.
Re:BMI is worthless (Score:3, Funny)