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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!

Photo: mcohen.chromiste, Flickr

Working out might seem like a young person's sport, but experts want you to know that you're never too old to get fit -- even if you earned your AARP card several decades ago. According to recent studies lead by Dr. Jeremy M. Jacobs of Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem, people who exercise tend to live longer than couch potatoes, even if they start working out in their 80s.

Dr. Jacobs and his team examined mortality rates among different age groups and activity levels over 18 years and found that exercise was a surefire way to increase lifespan. Consider these figures: Mortality rates over three years were at 24 percent for sedentary 85-year-olds, compared to just 7 percent for those who exercised around four hours a week. Not bad for just over half an hour of exercise a day, huh?

That's not all -- those who were active at 78 were almost twice as likely to be capable of performing everyday activities independently, such as bathing, dressing and so on. Surely that's reason enough to put in an extra sweat session every week?

"The take home message is that even among the very old, it never is too late to start exercising," says Dr. Jacobs, and we couldn't agree more.

New to fitness? Start off slowly with a gentle exercise like yoga.

Photo: Michael Fusco

Why calorie restriction? Brian M. Delaney, co-author of "The Longevity Diet" and president of the Calorie Restriction Society says, "the evidence in virtually every species studied indicates that calorie restriction slows the aging process, and extends 'youth span.' Studies in humans that actually measure mortality may never be done, since they would take over a century to complete, but shorter-term studies in humans indicate that 'biomarkers' of age and rate of aging shift in the same way they do in the calorie-restricted animals." An added bonus? He says he feels better, all his health markers have "moved dramatically in positive directions" and "generally, I feel much better now than before I started calorie restriction." In an interview with That's Fit, he describes an average day of eating, what he does in social settings and what he does to avoid pigging out.

That's Fit: What is a typical day's worth of meals and number of calories for you?

Brian M. Delaney: I eat a hearty breakfast -- usually a large bowl of whole grain cereal with non-fat yogurt and soymilk (or some other, less fatty "legume milk" of my own making, using for example navy beans), [served with] lots of blueberries and usually some other fruit.

I skip lunch, mainly because it saves time! But I also skip lunch because I love eating a large breakfast ("Breakfast like a king..."), and, for social reasons, often need to eat a normal-sized dinner, so I can't be on calorie restriction unless I skip lunch.

Dinners are usually a very large salad with lots of colorful vegetables, some kind of thick lentil or other legume soup (pinto beans, navy beans, etc.). I usually eat a bit of dark chocolate for desert, and often drink red wine.

I follow a vegetarian diet at home; when I'm invited out, I gladly eat what I'm served!

At the moment my daily caloric intake is around 2,000. (I could go lower, but I don't want to be that scrawny, for reasons of pure vanity.) [Reporter's Note: According to USDA recommendations, a moderately active adult male should consume, 2,200 to 2,800 calories; Delaney says he's active, so he may even fall in the 2,400 to 3,000 calorie range.]

When you live in a big city, it seems the world is divided into two types of people: Fast walkers and slow walkers. And while you might not think there's much difference between those who prefer to motor uptown at a good clip and those who amble idly to their destination, new studies show that they differ in one very major regard: Their lifespans.

Research presented at the IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics in Paris shows that, on average, those who walk fast tend to live longer. The study, which took place over 20 years and involved participants with an average age of 74, compared gait speed and longevity, and found that those who maintained a pace of 1.4 meters per second or faster were over twice as likely to be alive 10 years later -- and the gap was even bigger after 15 years. Interesting, huh? I would have predicted fast walkers to be more stressed out and therefore prone to more heart attacks, but these findings held true regardless of other factors like race, ethnicity and overall health.

Of course, walking slowly is better than not walking at all, so if you're not pounding the pavement, get moving. Already doing your share of walking? Consider picking up the pace -- and sticking to it.

Want to live to a ripe-old age? How about 130? Sakhan (Sarah) Dosova, from Kazakhstan, recently celebrated her 130th birthday. And some of her tips for longevity might surprise you.

CafeMom reports that Dosova recommends eating lots of cheese and yogurt and using herbal remedies instead of prescribed medications. With all due respect, I think I'll pass on those tips, and instead focus on some other pieces of Dosova's sage advice:

• Stay away from sweets. Bethany has some great tips for nipping your sugar habit in the bud.
  
• Have a good sense of humor. Dosova said, "We need to be happy in our life, only then we won't notice the years going by." Science supports Dosova's claim that happiness leads to health.
  

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Every morning I turn on the television just in time to hear Willard Scott from NBC's "Today Show" attempt to pronounce the names of America's centenarians. Whenever I see the ages next to the faces on that rotating jar of Smuckers, I can't help but wonder, what are these super-senior citizens doing right?

As humans, it's our business in life to stay alive for as long as possible. Each year, millions of dollars are poured into studies aimed at discovering the fountain of youth. The latest fountain du jour? Calorie-restrictive diets.

Several reports, including an ongoing study at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPC), have shown that calorie restriction can extend the life expectancy of primates, mice and fruit flies. Canto, a 25-year-old rhesus monkey at WNPC, looks and acts like a monkey half his age thanks to being fed a diet that contains 30 percent fewer calories per day than the average rhesus monkey for the past 17 years.

Most of us have followed restricted-calorie diets at some point in our lives, but they tend to last, oh, two or three weeks until we give up on them because we are just too dang hungry. But Brit David Fisher has been counting calories for 20 years now -- and it's not because he's worried about his figure. He believes that restricting calories is the key to staying young beyond your years. And considering he's 51 and has, according to doctors, the body of a healthy 32-year-old, it looks like it's working. Yeesh -- I'll say.

Fisher sticks to 1,600 calories a day, which he gets mainly from vegetables supplemented with small amounts of meat. As for beverages, he sticks to water and black tea and stays away from alcohol. And, not surprisingly, he has no trouble maintaining a slim figure despite getting little exercise.

Restricting calories helps keep you young because it reduces the amount of free radicals produced in the body by digestion. That's the theory, anyway. Do you believe it?

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In the U.S., when people want to lose weight or at least clean up their diet, they often turn to the Mediterranean diet. Rich in nuts, fruits, vegetables, and olive oil, the diet has been credited for the the long life spans of the people who live in the region where it originated.

But sadly, even in countries like Greece, Italy, Spain, and Morocco, the Mediterranean diet is in decline. Instead, the latest generation of kids enjoy a steady diet of processed foods and sweets, making a whopping two-thirds of them overweight. Health experts and government leaders are aghast and are seeking to designate the diet an "intangible piece of cultural heritage."

In America, where our national foods are hot dogs and apple pie, this might not seem like a big deal. But I find it incredibly sad that these countries are not only losing a significant piece of their history, but along with it wonderful foods that contributed to their longevity.

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Every day, we are faced with healthy and unhealthy choices that can ultimately prolong our lives ... or shorten them. And though none of us are perfect enough to make the healthy choice every time, making just one healthy choice most of the time can make a difference: The choice between the elevator and the stairs.

According to the BBC, taking the stairs on a regular basis can reduce your risk of premature death by up to 15%. That might not seem like much, but imagine the impact it can have if everyone did it?

Here's the bottom line: The more you do for your health, the better, but if you can't, do this one thing. It's simple, it's effective and it more importantly, it's doable.

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Not everyone who follows a calorie-restricted diet is hoping to lose weight. Some consciously choose fewer calories in hopes of living longer, as previous research has shown calorie restriction is an effective longevity-booster in rats and mice.

But new research suggests calorie-restriction alone may not crown you a centenarian, unless you simultaneously pay attention to your protein intake. Hmm, how much protein does 113-year-old Tomoji Tanabe eat? In animal longevity models, longer life is connected to lower levels of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1). When scientists compared IGF-1 measurements among short and long-term calorie restricters, regular exercisers and even a sedentary, Western diet group who changed nothing, IGF-1 levels were similar. Then the white coats took at look at long-term, strict vegans.

Vegans had significantly lower levels of IGF-1, even those heavier and fatter than calorie restricters. The vegans consumed about 10 percent of their calories from protein, while calorie-restricters were downing protein in the 23-24 percent zone. Here's the kicker, when six of the calorie-restricters agreed to try lowering their protein intake, their IGF-1 levels lowered dramatically in only three weeks. So to get in the running for Oldest Living Soul on the Planet, type of calories, not total calories may be key.

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Jacki recently filled us in on seven ways to add years to your life. Shape Magazine gives us some more tips -- this time from Dan Buettner's bestselling book, The Blue Zones. The author traveled around the world to areas known for the long life spans of residents. He observed the people's lifestyles and interviewed centenarians to develop his theories on living a long, full, healthy, and happy life. His tips are:

• Laugh. Laughing is an obvious sign of a good mood -- and it's widely accepted that your mood can affect your health. In addition, laughter can help relax blood vessels which may lead to a lowered risk of high blood pressure.
• Make exercise a part of your routine. The people Buettner interviewed weren't hard-core athletes. Instead, their daily lives were just filled with natural activities such as gardening and walking.
  
• Eat wisely. Enjoy your food and eat appropriate portions.
• Cultivate positive friendships. Choose friends who are supportive and are positive influences in your life.
  
• Live with intention. Find activities that make you happy and really live each moment.
  

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If you aren't much into calorie restriction in your pursuit of a long life, there are other practices you can adopt. Mark Liponis, M.D., says in his book Ultralongevity that the best way to live a long and healthy life is to have a healthy immune system. Translation: You want a quiet, peaceful immune system, not an overactive one. In the spirit of longevity, then, here are seven steps for soothing your system.

• Breathe. Yes, if you're reading this, you are in fact breathing. But are you doing it right? The goal is to calm your breathing to two breaths per minute or less. Learn how to master this step here.
  
  

• Eat. Eating is stressful to our immune systems. Germs, parasites, toxins, poisons, and other dangerous stuff gain access to our bodies when we eat. Grazing on healthy foods is the preferred eating pattern. More here.

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Think you can cut just 300 to 500 calories a day from your diet? If so, it could be the very thing that keeps you living longer.

It's been said before: Limiting caloric intake can slow the aging process. This theory, based on the study of rats and mice, goes like this: Fewer daily calories decrease production of the thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3), which then slows metabolism and tissue aging. Now, a new study adds to this theory and shows that this hormone decrease occurs when humans regularly skip rich desserts or forgo the Big Mac for a turkey sandwich instead.

So, researchers know now that calorie restriction does indeed slow hormone production in both animals and humans. Great news. What they need to determine now is whether the restriction actually slows the aging process. Common sense says that it does -- there's lots of evidence that cutting back on calories can limit risk for many common diseases, like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Avoid these diseases, and yes, you will live longer.

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What Buettner and his team have done is studied how people live in these blue zones to try and discover why they live up to a decade or more longer than the rest of us. What it boils down to, if their theories are correct, at least, is fairly simple. The people in those communities eat less and eat mostly plant-based foods. They have less stress, they indulge in a glass or two of red wine, and they incorporate physical activity into every day. Essentially, less is more.

It's difficult to make changes like this sometimes in our Western culture, but it's clear that these communities are doing something right, as far as longevity goes anyway. To learn more about what makes the blue zones special, check out Forbes gallery on the subject.

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Want to feel better, look younger, and add years to your life? Want to do it without pills, expensive therapy, or wacky supplements? It's possible, says Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner, author of the book The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest. All it takes is a change in lifestyle.

An explorer and longevity researcher, Buettner has spent the past five years traveling to regions where people live the longest. What he's discovered are nine common denominators among the folks who live in the longevity hot spots, or Blue Zones. The Power 9 he calls them. And here they are.

• Move Naturally. Be active by focusing on activities you love.

• Eat Less. Cut calories by 20 percent.

• Plant Slant. Avoid meat and processed food.

• Grapes of Life. Drink red wine (in moderation).

• Purpose Now. Articulate your life purpose.

• Down Shift. Punctuate your days with calm.

• Belong. Be a part of a spiritual community.
  

• Loved Ones First. Make family a priority.

• Right Tribe. Be surrounded by those who share Blue Zone values.

This may seem like small stuff. But the payoff from committing to the Power 9 is huge. Buettner says the average American can add 14 good years of life by putting these habits to work.

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