A very clever person once said, “It’s not real life, it’s just ones and zeroes.” Scientists and engineers and programmers are working very, very hard to emulate the messy, chaotic, organic complexity that is the real world. Until things reach that point, it’s still just an extremely large numbers of ones and zeroes; on or off, light or dark, yes or no.
“Condition X is healthy or unhealthy.”
Sometimes, it might be nice if the real world was just a little more discrete, a little less messy… or, you know, just a scosh less bloody damn confusing and counter-intuitive and contradictory. Yes, “the truth is out there.” However, those self-same folks admonish and exhort us to “trust no one.”
Thanks, Mulder. That’s really freaking helpful. What are you talking about, contemporary research into being overweight helping people live longer?
Wait, what?
Well, it’s not a blanket truism, but there does appear to be a growing body of evidence that for people at risk of, or suffering from, heart disease, a little extra weight might be just what the doctor ordered. In a recent study, researchers used data from an ongoing Canadian national health survey of more than 11,000 (yes, this is OVER NINE THOUSAND) adult patients for approximately ten years. Compared to people who fell into the normal-weight category (as defined by having a BMI of 18.5-24.9):
- Those classified as underweight were 73% more likely to die.
- Those classified as extremely obese with BMI of 35 or greater were 36% more likely to die.
- Those classified as obese with BMI 30-34.9 had about the same risk of death.
- Those classified as overweight with BMI 25-29.9 were 17% less likely to die.
This is commonly called the obesity paradox. What’s less clear is what the underlying cause of it might be. There are a few theories:
- Heavier patients are considered to be more at-risk than those in the “normal” weight range, and may be getting earlier, more aggressive, or more thorough, attention from their medical practitioners. As a result of the extra health care, they’re living longer (and hopefully healthier) lives.
- Leaner people who suffer from ailments like heart disease (because they are, in the main, a lower risk group), may be experiencing a nastier version, which could carry increased health and mortality risks.
- Certain segments of the population are very healthy yet exhibit elevated BMI — professional athletes, especially, can fall into this category, as can people who weight train or work in fields where physical strength is a requisite.
No matter where on the BMI scale we fall, the fact that we’re getting active is absolutely a good thing. Whether it’s walking, Wii-ing, or weightlifting, getting away from our desks and getting moving will keep us up and fragging that much longer.
Overweight heart patients do better than thin patients, but overweight patients who lose weight do best of all.
- Carl J. Lavie, MD (Cardiologist)
Whether it’s a direct or indirect result of carrying a few extra pounds, the bottom line is:
Good health is more than a BMI or a number on a scale. We know that people who choose a healthy lifestyle enjoy better health.
– Keith Bachman, MD
The truth is out there, somewhere. It’s definitely not in my glove box or behind my couch, though. I checked. Twice.
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Totally a guess, but I wonder if just being overweight means that on average your body is better equipped to fight some diseases?
I remember a similar study where they said the elderly were better off being a little chubby, because the skinny ones did not have the energy reserves to fight off things like pneumonia.
The articles I was reading for this were pretty universal in saying that being a little heavier was way, way better than being underweight, and the statistics certainly seem to bear that out as well.
There are probably other things that aren’t as obvious – the increased bone density of folks who weigh more, or who have done something to enhance strength somewhere along the way can reduce the risk of serious injuries from falls, for instance.
But…I still feel so _guilty_ about feeling vindicated for being overweight (BMI currently just under 29)!
Well, they’re not saying that it’s healthier, overall; just that it’s healthier if you end up having heart disease. Being at a healthy weight and being active is the best way to avoid falling into that category in the first place.
Having a littel wieght on you seems to make sense to me. Being super fit and cut all the time sounds nice, and looks great, but it does not seem to fit what our body wants.
FOr example I am doing P90X right now. In order to do that I need to eat about 2,500 calories a day. Minimum. That is 500 over the normal amount. Most days I am at 2,800. This is also to lose wieght due the extreme amount of work I do.
Keep in mind now that I am forcing my body to not only use everything I eat, but to burn up fat reserves as well. So if I were to get sick, my body would try to eat itself to survive.
I think there is a happy medium wher you have a fat layer, but are not “fat” if you get my meaning where your body is in balance. Ok, we have enough for an emergency and enough of the good stuff is comming in. Get my drift?