Overweight is healthier than normal weight?

Interesting news. You’re less likely to die sooner if you’re overweight, than if you’re considered “normal weight”.

Interesting news. You’re less likely to die sooner if you’re overweight, than if you’re considered “normal weight”.

Check it out on abcnews.com. I was surprised — but not too surprised — by their results. I’ve long thought that the genetic propensity towards a modest gut in middle-age probably has some evolutionary advantage, and isn’t actually the bane of existence the diet industry tries to convince us it is.

But the most interesting finding, for me, was that those who are within the government guidelines for “normal weight” at at a higher risk of health-related death than those who are “overweight”.

As mentioned in the article, though, there is no study on “quality of life”. The key seems to be physical activity: if you’re physically fit, whether you’re “overweight” or “normal weight” doesn’t really matter. Diabetes still runs higher in the “overweight” category, as do other weight-related diseases, but keep running!

But you need to stay out of that “obese” category. For my height and build, the magic number is 223 lbs. Above 223, I’m “obese”. Now where’s that treadmill…

2 thoughts on “Overweight is healthier than normal weight?”

  1. –Ok where can you find out t

    –Ok where can you find out the latest on what a good weight for your height is. I really haven’t known for many years. Then for my height was 135. I think (uh hum ) I may be past that. Help me find my weight. Teresa the Flautist and fire dancer

    1. Try this…

      Here’s a tool to use yourself so the world doesn’t know everything about you:

      http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm

      So I’m 6’1″ tall. I’m thirty-one years old. After monkeying with the figures, 227 lbs is the maximum I could go and just be “overweight” and not “obese”.

      I think the Normal Weight is a nice standard to aim for in your weight-training plans, but the nice thing about this article is that it showed the biggest claim of diet-pill makers, “overweight kills you” is patently false. You live longer if you’re a little overweight (not healthier! LONGER).

      I suspect I may be confusing correlation with causation. It’s fairly likely the moderately overweight are also frequently married, live less stressful lives than their “normal weight” friends who die earlier, and have lots of other secondary reasons that they live longer, with their weight being only one small side-effect.

      I will add that I’m on the heavy side of “overweight” at the moment. I think 200 is an ideal weight for me (just a little above “normal” BMI for my height), and I’ve not fought my way down there in a very long time 🙂

      —
      Matthew P. Barnson

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