Science Says Being Overweight Means You Live Longer

OK, so you’re packing a few more pounds than the doctor says you should be. That just might give you some extra life. We’re not talking obese here, just a bit overweight. It’s not like you’ll live forever but doctors might not be quite honest when addressing the health risks associated with people whose BMIs – that is, Body Mass Indexes – are between 25 and 30, ranked as “overweight” on the BMI scale.

BMI is the chart healthcare professionals swear by to determine a person’s percentage of fat based on their weight and height. Doctors have lectured on and on about the dangers of being “overweight,” but it might actually be better for you to have a little extra weight than to be at a “normal” BMI.

Wikipedia says “The generally accepted view is that being overweight causes similar health problems to obesity, but to a lesser degree.” But papers regarding the dangers of being overweight, like the Journal of the American Medical Association’s paper regarding “Excess deaths associated with underweight, overweight, and obesity,” you find statements like “Overweight was not associated with excess mortality.”

In fact, the findings are that people who are overweight actually live longer than people who are in the normal weight range. Translation is that being a little overweight might be, well, normal, while being considered of normal weight by the BMI chart you might actually be mildly underweight.

While research supports the idea that people within the “overweight” category are healthier and live longer, science and the doctors who recognize this issue are still unwilling to make the call and change “overweight” to “normal” for the charts.

This also suggests that the dangers of being within that category may be grossly over-exaggerated since doctors are continually finding out that “overweight” people actually tend to live longer, healthier lives than those within the “normal” weight groups.

Of course, at some point, the more weight you put on, the worse your health will become, because obesity is still damaging to your body – high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin issues, hormonal problems and many others. But where that point actually begins has been called into question.

So if you go to the clinic and your BMI is a little higher than “acceptable” to your doctor, don’t freak out and call off carbs. You just might be within a totally healthy weight group. You might be able to enjoy a longer life than your skinnier friends.