Staying Alive: Why Every Pound Counts

Photo: mod as hell, Flickr

Carrying a few extra pounds won't hurt as long as you're more or less in the healthy range, right? Well, actually, recent studies published in the British Medical Journal are answering that question with a big fat no -- gaining even just a bit of weight over the years can have a serious impact on your health later in life. In fact, every 2.2 pounds women gain can decrease their chances of making it to age 70 by 5 percent. It's even worse news for those who are obese in their 40s and 50s -- they're 79 percent less likely to be healthy at age 80 than women who were lean during those years.

So who fared the best? Researchers found that women who reported a BMI of 18.5 to 22.9 at age 18 and kept it stable over the next 30 years were the healthiest, and women who maintained the same weight throughout their lives -- regardless of BMI -- were healthier than those who let the numbers on the scale creep up.

According to the researchers, "These data emphasized the significance of maintaining a healthy weight throughout adulthood to enjoy a long and healthy life." In other words? A little bit of extra junk in your trunk -- even if you're not reaching obese proportions -- won't do you any favors in the long run.

Need inspiration to stay fit until your golden years? Check out this 74-year-old body builder!