"Overweight" people live the longest!

mickrock · 01-06-2017 10:29PM #1

Overweight is defined as having a BMI between 25 and 30.

Many studies have shown that people in this range live longer than those in the normal or underweight range:

"Perhaps you think I am being selective and only choosing one misleading paper. Well, here are the conclusions of another study done in Canada in 2010: "Our results are similar to those from other recent studies, confirming that underweight and obesity class II+ (BMI > 35) are clear risk factors for mortality, and showing that when compared to the acceptable BMI category, overweight appears to be protective against mortality." I love the way they couldn't bring themselves to say "normal" BMI. They had to call it "the acceptable BMI category". This, I suppose, helps to fend off the inevitable question. If people of normal weight have shorter lifespans than those who are overweight, why do we call them normal? Surely we should call them "mildly underweight", at which point we would have to call people who are now considered overweight "normal"."

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/why-being-overweight-means-you-live-longer-the-way-scientists-twist-the-facts-10158229.html

Do you find this surprising? I did when I first heard about it and I know that many will refuse to believe it but facts is facts.

frag420 · 01-06-2017 10:31PM

Live longer...eat cake!

Cutie 3.14 · 01-06-2017 10:34PM

Anyone else getting ads on their page advertising chippers and takeaway ordering apps after opening this thread?

Sam Kade · 01-06-2017 10:35PM

BMI is based on China men so 25-30 really isn't overweight.

allthedoyles · 01-06-2017 10:35PM

This has to be fake news

MonkieSocks · 01-06-2017 10:54PM

Inside every Fat person there is a thin person struggling to get out!

Ipso · 01-06-2017 11:11PM

To the kebab truck!

AllForIt · 01-06-2017 11:13PM

Don't think I've ever ever seen a report of an obese person reaching the age of 100. Just picture it, a fat 100 year old? Never seen it myself. Ppl who reach 100 are always lean in my experience.

suicide_circus · 01-06-2017 11:16PM

Beyondgone · 01-06-2017 11:16PM

Most skeletons are skinny. They also said butter was bad for you, and don't drink or smoke kids - drinking and smoking kill you. Here's the news, you're dying regardless. No one gets out of here alive. Eat, drink and smoke. You're fcuked anyways. You ain't living forever, no matter how choirboy you go on it. Some seriously fit people karked it before 40. I know one woman who is 80 and still breaks all the rules. She's helped bury all her goody goody mates. If you're going to die in a fire, you can go to sea in a basket.

mickrock · 02-06-2017 01:35PM

AllForIt wrote: »

Don't think I've ever ever seen a report of an obese person reaching the age of 100. Just picture it, a fat 100 year old? Never seen it myself. Ppl who reach 100 are always lean in my experience.

That may be true about extreme old age but studies do show that being overweight (as defined by BMI) does not reduce life expectancy compared to those of normal weight and may actually increase it.

Will I Am Not · 02-06-2017 01:37PM

It's because they bounce when they fall from a height and their bones and organs are protected in car crashes.
Simple science.

Shenshen · 02-06-2017 01:40PM

AllForIt wrote: »

Don't think I've ever ever seen a report of an obese person reaching the age of 100. Just picture it, a fat 100 year old? Never seen it myself. Ppl who reach 100 are always lean in my experience.

I can't say I ever met a 100 year old - the closest would have been my great-grandfather who died aged 98. He was quite solid-built.
Also, this isn't about obese people, but overweight people.

Burial. · 02-06-2017 01:45PM

Wouldn't view it as a good thing. Living a super long life in an obese body would be worse than hell.

wakka12 · 02-06-2017 01:46PM

BMI is a ridiculous way of measuring health. Lots of people in that category could be muscular, and weigh the same as a fat person of same weight and height

wakka12 · 02-06-2017 01:47PM

Beyondgone wrote: »

Most skeletons are skinny. They also said butter was bad for you, and don't drink or smoke kids - drinking and smoking kill you. Here's the news, you're dying regardless. No one gets out of here alive. Eat, drink and smoke. You're fcuked anyways. You ain't living forever, no matter how choirboy you go on it. Some seriously fit people karked it before 40. I know one woman who is 80 and still breaks all the rules. She's helped bury all her goody goody mates. If you're going to die in a fire, you can go to sea in a basket.

If you're healthy youll generally live considerably longer than somebody who lived an unhealthy life, thats the reality

Outlaw Pete · 02-06-2017 01:51PM

Dot Cotton, Kirk Douglas etc (and almost anyone over 90 really) always tended to seem quite trim to me.

jester77 · 02-06-2017 01:58PM

They do have less chance of getting killed cycling to work

uch · 02-06-2017 02:35PM

frag420 wrote: »

Live longer...eat cake!

I'm In

megaten · 02-06-2017 02:45PM

Isn't this because they have to go to the doctor more often.

_Brian · 02-06-2017 04:38PM

Look round at men over 70 or even 80.
Essentially none of them are overweight. Even for women, the older people I can think of are thinner rather than overweight.

If you hope to make it onto your 80's being overweight seriously reduces your chances and the more overweight you are the less chance you have of living into old age.

Teyla Emmagan · 02-06-2017 04:42PM

mickrock wrote: »

This, I suppose, helps to fend off the inevitable question. If people of normal weight have shorter lifespans than those who are overweight, why do we call them normal? Surely we should call them "mildly underweight", at which point we would have to call people who are now considered overweight "normal"."

I'd be all for this. "If at first you don't succeed then move the goalposts" is my motto.

02-06-2017 05:14PM

My grandmother is almost 94 and is fairly overweight. Doctors often can't believe how old she is as she's in good health for her age and her mind is sharper than most people I know in their 20's.

She was driving up until last September but stopped due to her eyesight. I put it all down to how laid back she is about everything. But that includes being laid back about what she eats, hence the weight

She has never smoked though. Her husband (my granddad) died in his late 50's from a heart attack and also had a stroke before that. My granny reckons he died young because he smoked 30 a day and was "highly strung".

_Brian · 02-06-2017 05:29PM

Lia_lia wrote: »

My grandmother is almost 94 and is fairly overweight. Doctors often can't believe how old she is as she's in good health for her age and her mind is sharper than most people I know in their 20's.

She was driving up until last September but stopped due to her eyesight. I put it all down to how laid back she is about everything. But that includes being laid back about what she eats, hence the weight She has never smoked though. Her husband (my granddad) died in his late 50's from a heart attack and also had a stroke before that. My granny reckons he died young because he smoked 30 a day and was "highly strung".

You donsee cases of some overweight women living on to older ages, but in particular for us men if we'd like to live on a bit longer then being overweight seriously reduces our chances.

Murrisk · 02-06-2017 05:33PM

Burial. wrote: »

Wouldn't view it as a good thing. Living a super long life in an obese body would be worse than hell.

Overweight, not obese.

ScumLord · 02-06-2017 05:36PM

Damnit, I didn't get a pension because they told me I'd be dead by then. I'll have to get back on the crack.

mickrock · 02-06-2017 06:03PM

_Brian wrote: »

You donsee cases of some overweight women living on to older ages, but in particular for us men if we'd like to live on a bit longer then being overweight seriously reduces our chances.

Yes, that's what we're told and it seems intuitively to be correct, but studies don't back it up.

They show that being "overweight" (BMI of 25 to 30) doesn't hamper life expectancy and may even extend it.

Chiparus · 02-06-2017 06:08PM

This is well know for years but the media are on a fattist bullying agenda,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_paradox

DEFTLEFTHAND · 02-06-2017 06:17PM

Humans are so complex.

Think of somebody like Keith Richards, chain smoker, recreational drug user, heavy drinker and still ticking along nicely at 73.

I truly believe that a lot comes to down to our individual genetics. Some of us are just predisposed to certain ailments and conditions from the day we're born.

Burial. · 02-06-2017 06:21PM

Murrisk wrote: »

Overweight, not obese.

Meh same principle. It's not healthy, it's not functional, it's not attractive, and one cannot have a good sense of self worth if they allow themselves to overeat and dwindle into that state.

Wesser · 02-06-2017 06:21PM

AllForIt wrote: »

Don't think I've ever ever seen a report of an obese person reaching the age of 100. Just picture it, a fat 100 year old? Never seen it myself. Ppl who reach 100 are always lean in my experience.

But that doesn't mean that ....on average...... overweight people don't outlive ' acceptable bmi people. The average life span of an Irish woman is 82. Anyone living to 100 is an outlier. Your deductions from the statistics given are incorrect.

"Overweight" people live the longest!

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