Can Being Overweight Help You Live Longer?

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We all know that being overweight increases your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and a host of other unpleasant diseases and conditions. However, a recent study published in Obesity may throw a big fat wrench in the battle of the bulge: Being overweight may actually be protective against mortality.

The 12-year study used body mass index to compare the mortality of individuals who qualify as underweight (BMI<18.5), overweight (BMI 25 to <30), obese (BMI>35) and normal weight (BMI 18.5 to 24.9). Researchers found that those with an overweight BMI of 25 to 30 had an overall lower mortality rate, even compared to those in the normal weight category.

Because this was an observational study, not many details regarding why this was the case are available. However, according to Dr. David H. Feeny, senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research and co-author of the study, the findings may partially be explained by an increase in pro-active healthcare compared to previous generations.

"The penalty for being overweight has been reduced," he says, citing, for one, an increased vigilance on identifying and controlling high blood pressure. Additionally, he notes that seniors are at risk for being frail and weak as they age. "Elderly people who were a little overweight may be a little more resilient. They're at less of a risk for becoming frail," he says.

But before you start loading up on extra carbs to get that weight on, be aware that the study not only had a relatively short follow-up of 12 years, but also relied on individuals' self-reported height and weight to calculate BMI (not shockingly, people tend to report themselves as taller and lighter). Additionally, BMI is not the most accurate measure of body fat because it does not take into account body type.