Doctors Say Fat People Can Live As Long As Thin Ones

[haha]

Doctors say fat people can live as long as thin ones

This is an article that references a study that showed that given that people are practicing a number of health habits, overweight and even obesity has little or no longevity penalty.

The article clicks through to an abstract of the study, which in turn links to a full text PDF of the study.

To me it appears that being overweight or obese increases the penalty for lack of healthy habits, but having those habits erases the penalty for extra weight.

Ha

 

[W2R]

As an overweight person who exercises religiously, and who eats her vegetables, this is an encouraging article to read! I hope he is right. I fear he is not, though, and so the battle to keep my weight down continues. Got to hedge my bets.

 

[FUEGO]

Heck yeah! I'm going out on a jog tonight and eating a bag of pork rinds while I'm doing it!

 

[W2R]

Heck yeah! I'm going out on a jog tonight and eating a bag of pork rinds while I'm doing it!

Pork rinds are vegetables? I never knew that!

 

[Gotadimple]

Pork rinds are vegetables? I never knew that!

Anything - ANYTHING - is a vegetable if you put enough analysis to it.

Pork rinds fried in vegetable oil: If the per centage of vegetable oil is greater than the protein value of a pork rind = Vegetable!

W2R, I count on your scientific background to find further examples of vegetables.

-- Rita

 

[W2R]

Anything - ANYTHING - is a vegetable if you put enough analysis to it.

Pork rinds fried in vegetable oil: If the per centage of vegetable oil is greater than the protein value of a pork rind = Vegetable!

W2R, I count on your scientific background to find further examples of vegetables.

-- Rita

And here I thought that eating a carrot would be healthier than eating pork rinds. Obviously I have a lot to learn about nutrition!

 

[FUEGO]

Pork rinds are vegetables? I never knew that!

I'm going to have a banana split when I get back from that jog. With 5 servings of bananas in it. Or 4 if I can count the chocolate syrup as a fruit/vegetable.

 

[W2R]

I'm going to have a banana split when I get back from that jog. With 5 servings of bananas in it. Or 4 if I can count the chocolate syrup as a fruit/vegetable.

You guys have me in stitches!

 

[eytonxav]

Its absolutely true! I work out 3x/week and eat veggie burgers.

 

[Gotadimple]

This is much better than reading the linked article! Thanks, Ha!

 

[MichaelB]

And here I thought that eating a carrot would be healthier than eating pork rinds. Obviously I have a lot to learn about nutrition!

Well, how about if the donor of the pork rind eats carrots? That means you're eating carrots too, doesn't it? AFAIK rind donors only eat vegetables, so that means we're all safe.

Fuego, everyone knows chocolate is a fruit, because cacao grows in trees and once it's harvested it becomes chocolate. You're safe as long as it's dairy free. Chocolate syrup is like fruit juice...

 

[FinanceDude]

Doctors say fat people can live as long as thin ones

This is an article that references a study that showed that given that people are practicing a number of health habits, overweight and even obesity has little or no longevity penalty.

The article clicks through to an abstract of the study, which in turn links to a full text PDF of the study.

To me it appears that being overweight or obese increases the penalty for lack of healthy habits, but given those habits erases the penalty for extra weight.

Ha

As Doctor King famously said: "Free at Last"!!!!!

 

[flyfishnevada]

People, even some doctors, just don't understand this stuff. Being overweight and being unhealthy are not the same thing. Just because many people are overweight because they eat poorly, don't exercise, etc., doesn't mean all fat folks are unhealthy. Those unhealthy fat people drag our numbers down. I even remember reading somewhere that healthy overweight people actually live longer on overage than healthy thin people.

So, why am I on a diet right now?

 

[haha]

So, why am I on a diet right now?

So your wife won't kick you to the couch?

 

[Lisa99]

I even remember reading somewhere that healthy overweight people actually live longer on overage than healthy thin people.

My doc has confirmed that, at least for women, you can be too thin.

When I talked to her about losing some weight last year she told me that 'at my age' of 50 she would prefer me to stay at the upper end of normal BMI (so between 23 and 25).

Below that and we can start having issues with osteoporsis apparently.

 

[BigNick]

People, even some doctors, just don't understand this stuff. Being overweight and being unhealthy are not the same thing. Just because many people are overweight because they eat poorly, don't exercise, etc., doesn't mean all fat folks are unhealthy.

True, but "unhealthy" and "overweight" are substantially correlated, even if not at 1.0.

I even remember reading somewhere that healthy overweight people actually live longer on overage than healthy thin people.

Ummm. I'd like to see the actual science there. I do know that there are lots of little old ladies. Big old ladies? Not so much.

So, why am I on a diet right now?

To make yourself even more attractive to [-]the opposite[/-] your choice of sex, of course.

 

[Dreamer]

My doc has confirmed that, at least for women, you can be too thin.

When I talked to her about losing some weight last year she told me that 'at my age' of 50 she would prefer me to stay at the upper end of normal BMI (so between 23 and 25).

Below that and we can start having issues with osteoporsis apparently.

I am 59 and just weighed 114 (we weigh in on Wii Fit) and my BMI is 21.something. I have osteopenia and have started doing strength training. I have been told the same thing regarding weight. When you are heavier, it is better for your bones. I feel good at this weight, but I certainly don't want to get osteoporosis. Boy, that banana split is sounding mighty tempting right now!

 

[Purron]

 

[Alan]

I am 59 and just weighed 114 (we weigh in on Wii Fit) and my BMI is 21.something. I have osteopenia and have started doing strength training. I have been told the same thing regarding weight. When you are heavier, it is better for your bones. I feel good at this weight, but I certainly don't want to get osteoporosis. Boy, that banana split is sounding mighty tempting right now!

DW is 56 and weighs 116 with a BMI of 21.75. She has osteopenia and started doing strength training 6 years ago when it was first diagnosed. Kept it in check until 2 years ago when bone density slipped a little so she kept up the strength training and added Actonel, once per month. Bone density scan 2 weeks ago and density has actually incresed.

Her mother was obese, and then REALLY obese for all the 36 years I knew her. Amazingly enough she never developed diabetes but she did have osteorporosis and broke her leg and ankle several times in late 60's and 70's. Putting on more weight does not always result in avoiding osteoporosis.

She lived until she was 78 and had 3 knee replacements to keep her with some mobility. COPD finally carried her off. (she never smoked)

 

[Moscyn]

Everything in moderation. Exercise, eat well and don't deprive yourself of chocolates and ice-cream. Fat does not equal unhealthy and thin does not mean unhealthy too. Also, so many people who seem to be of ideal range weight die young too. Weight and size are not the primary issues. It's a combination of many things like sound organs, good genes, healthy lifestyle....etc....etc....I think I need my chocolates now.

 

[james7]

Pork rinds are vegetables? I never knew that!

I never liked pork rinds until I started dipping them in ketchup. Now that is a gourmet treat!! The federal government said ketchup can be counted as a vegetable for school lunches, so now you have a real vegetarian snack.

I wonder if they'll approve chocolate syrup as a fruit juice?

 

[harley]

Ummm. I'd like to see the actual science there. I do know that there are lots of little old ladies. Big old ladies? Not so much.

I couldn't find the study referred to by flyfishnevada, but here's an article that talks about it. Who Lives Longer - Overweight People or Thin People

Regarding the big old ladies vs. little old ladies, my experience isn't the same. I've seen plenty of both. It's the old men who are in short supply.

And also anecdotally, I know a significant number of unhealthy thinner people. They always seem to be sick or tired, and have flabby muscles. I often wonder if they are just malnourished. Health doesn't appear to be that well tied in with weight, in my experience. Health is different, and has to do more with decent nutrition and exercise. Body weight doesn't seem to be the deciding factor to me.

 

[Alan]

I couldn't find the study referred to by flyfishnevada, but here's an article that talks about it. Who Lives Longer - Overweight People or Thin People

Thanks Harley, interesting article. That study, in Japan, showed that overweight people at age 40 lived a little longer than their normal weight counterparts (~1.6 years longer for men) but obese people lived about 0.5 years less. (BMI>30 is considered obese in the study).

Much bigger differences when compared to very thin people (over 6 years), but the very thin definition is a BMI <18.5. (at 6'1.5" I would have to weigh 142lbs for a BMI of 18.5 and that would be ultra thin, imo).

What I do read into this study is that it is much better to be outside the the "normal" BMI range on the high side (>30) than it is to be below the low limit (<18.5)

 

[Midpack]

True, but "unhealthy" and "overweight" are substantially correlated, even if not at 1.0.

The OP article conclusion stands to reason, though using BMI may distort the extent "healthy habits" can offset the influence of obesity. The offset may be less, body composition would have been more credible than BMI.

Unfortunately unhealthy and obese indeed appear to be highly correlated as you can see by looking at mortality and heart disease vs mortality without the health habits slice. And if obesity reduces mobility with age (joint problems are more common with obesity), healthy habits and therefore lifespan may be threatened despite all intentions.

 

[rodi]

Interesting articles. I guess this fits me. I have insurance through Kaiser Permanente and they have a full physical thing you can do every 5 years or so. They measure all sorts of normal stuff (cholesterol, bp, etc), as well as stuff like your lung capacity. And they look at BMI etc. They compile all the data then generate a report that tells you what your health age is.

I consistently get a health age of about 5 years less than my actual age. Drives my husband nuts (he's only 2 years younger with his health age.) The report also says I'm fat. I don't dispute that. I refuse to get on the yo-yo diet thing again. I just try to eat healthy food, and not stress about the weight.

I'm fat. No getting around it. BMI puts me at obese. But I eat healthy (lots of real food - not a lot of processed food. Tons of veggies and fruits, whole grains, etc.) I am a moderate drinker. Don't smoke. Have low cholesteral and BP. I should exercise more, but it's currently limited to walking the dog several times a week. So I've got all but the exercise covered in their "healthy habits" list.

My brother was a health nut. At age 48 he rode in the "Ride the Rockies" multi day bike ride, then in the "Tour D' Wyoming" multi day bike ride. He worked out, was an avid rock climber, had no body fat to speak of. He died less than 6 months after his Wyoming ride. These studies don't look at other diseases outside of cardiac/stroke. In our family - it's cancer. His second (unrelated) malignancy was incurable. (He'd kicked Melanoma in college).

I'm not saying don't practice healthy habits. But they are not a guarantee. My brother was one of the healthiest people I knew - until he wasn't.