Dozens of studies show overweight people live longer than skinny ones!

[Orlong]

Here is a new study that shows that fat people actually live longer than skinny people despite what fat bashers usually say. And this isnt from some quack doctor. its from Katherine Flegal, a senior research scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):


The longest lived among us aren’t necessarily those who are of normal weight, says a new study.

According to new research this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), researchers say that being overweight may lead to a longer life.

The somewhat surprising conclusion comes from an enormous, detailed review of over 100 previously published research papers connecting body weight and mortality risk among 2.88 million study participants living around the world. The new research confirms that obese people, and particularly those who are extremely obese, tend to die earlier than those of normal weight. But the findings also suggest that people who are overweight (but not obese) may live longer than people with clinically normal body weight.
The new report is the largest and most comprehensive review of how weight, measured as body mass index (BMI), a measure comparing the ratio of height to weight, can influence longevity. Previous studies that have exposed the link in the past, however, have raised questions about whether the overweight advantage is real.

“We published an article in 2005 that showed, among other things, that overweight was associated with lower mortality — and we got an awful lot of negative feedback from that,” says the current study’s lead author, Katherine Flegal, a senior research scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since that study, however, dozens of others have reached the same conclusion — even if it was hard for researchers and the public to accept.

I think there’s a lot of under reporting of this finding […] and so people are sort of repeatedly surprised by it,” Flegal says. Because many researchers don’t expect to find a benefit associated with being overweight, she suggests, they may not believe their results are valid if they find such a connection, which may make them more hesitant to publish them and invite review and discussion about what may be driving the trend.

For the new study, Flegal and her colleagues analyzed every study they could find that broke down death risk broken by the standard BMI categories set by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the late 1990s: with underweight defined as BMI less than 18.5, normal weight being BMI between 18.5 and 25, overweight being BMI between 25 and 30, and obese as BMI of over 30. Men or women who are 5’4″ would have “normal” BMI if they weighed between 108 and 145 pounds, for example, and overweight if they weighed 146 to 174 pounds, and obese if weighed more than that.

I think there’s a lot of under reporting of this finding […] and so people are sort of repeatedly surprised by it,” Flegal says. Because many researchers don’t expect to find a benefit associated with being overweight, she suggests, they may not believe their results are valid if they find such a connection, which may make them more hesitant to publish them and invite review and discussion about what may be driving the trend.

http://healthland.time.com/2013/01/0...-of-mortality/

So maybe you shouldnt be out exercising for hours a day and eating nasty health food, when those of us who dont exercise, and eat pizza and burgers live longer

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Just because it's a study doesn't mean it's valid. Honestly speaking, I think you didn't really read the sources and just took it as truth because you have some weird agenda to try and make it ok to be overweight and fat. It's not. My point being, just because it's a study doesn't mean it's suddenly it came from Superman's mouth. The same can be said about the dumb article you linked way back about smoking being healthy and honestly that article is insulting as it is.

[Deleted]

I would rather have a fit healthy body and die at 70 than be overweight, unfit and live a few extra years.

[KrazyK923]

As a fat person this is ridiculous.

[Themius]

Just because it's a study doesn't mean it's valid. Honestly speaking, I think you didn't really read the sources and just took it as truth because you have some weird agenda to try and make it ok to be overweight and fat. It's not. My point being, just because it's a study doesn't mean it's suddenly it came from Superman's mouth. The same can be said about the dumb article you linked way back about smoking being healthy and honestly that article is insulting as it is.

There have been studies for quite a while saying a bit of overweight can be advantageous; however, a bit is 10-15 not 30-50.

10-15 over which is barely over really...

[Tradewind]

Oh for fucks sake...time for another stupid thread where Orlong strokes his engorged confirmation bias because someone said something that might line up with their lifestyle. Even though nobody actually gives a shit what he does.

[Vizardlorde]

Is this a poorly named thread about the study that showed that physically active overweight people lived longer than skinny sedentary people?

[reckoner04]

So you're saying that among the fat population, there are outliers who actually live longer, even though almost all fat people actually live shorter lives than average. I can accept that. But why do you conclude that being fat is something good?

Imagine this scenario: You are given 100 pills. 99 of them will kill you, and one of them will make you live for 100 years. But you don't know which is the one. Will you take the chance and eat a pill? Probably not... According to your post, being fat is the same as taking a pill.

[Themius]

So you're saying that among the fat people, there are outliers who actually live longer, even though almost all fat people actually live shorter. I can accept that. But why do you conclude that being fat is something good?

There are some studies that show being overweight by 10 to 15 pounds can be advantageous.

[Zigzagzoom]

Yea well I'm sure there are some "studies" out there saying that big foot and unicorns are roaming around the north west out there too but common sense prevails.

[Elodeon]

Orlong, that's an interesting finding. Thanks for sharing the link.

[Underverse]

2.88 million people around the world.

I'm betting nutrition was not controlled for. Oh wait, of course it wasn't, because it's a meta-analysis of uncontrolled epidemiological studies. If you're eating 2 flies and a grain of rice each day, that will have a much larger impact on the data than if you're stuffing your face with cheeseburgers. Not to mention that skinnier people tend to be in poorer countries where people have worse healthcare and higher risk of environmental/workplace deaths, oh man this is so flawed why is this being reported on I want to cry

Edit: At least the authors' conclusions for the cause of this correlation are reasonable. I'm just worried about the millions of fat people who will read this and feel vindicated.

[Zinjan]

correlation is not causation... It could also be that the overweight people have better medical care because they are more at risk so the doctors keep a closer eye

[Brikhous3]

i wish i was fat

[Donald Hellscream]

Well if you sit on your ass all they and eat like there is no tommorow i am certain you are gonna see some nasty side effects in regards to your health. If you are just a few pounds above where you ideally should be at i would imagine there would be some sort of merit to it but being grossly overweight will in most cases lead to some potentially life threatening conditions like diabetes etc.

[Orlong]

So you're saying that among the fat population, there are outliers who actually live longer, even though almost all fat people actually live shorter lives than average. I can accept that. But why do you conclude that being fat is something good?

Imagine this scenario: You are given 100 pills. 99 of them will kill you, and one of them will make you live for 100 years. But you don't know which is the one. Will you take the chance and eat a pill? Probably not... According to your post, being fat is the same as taking a pill.

Obviously you didnt read the article

- - - Updated - - -

Yea well I'm sure there are some "studies" out there saying that big foot and unicorns are roaming around the north west out there too but common sense prevails.

Yeah, but this isnt some hack study from a fringe doctor or something. This the head of the CDC making the point

[Themius]

But here's some news that may take a bit of the pressure off: A body of research is emerging that suggests that there's little risk to carrying a few extra pounds. And there may even be some benefit. Indeed, people who are 10-to-15 pounds overweight appear to have no greater risk of dying than those of so-called "normal" weight. Other studies have shown that those who are overweight are no more likely to die from cancer or cardiovascular disease. Also, being a little overweight may help stave off osteoporosis. And it can make you look younger, too.

While experts agree that obesity is a serious health issue with widespread medical implications, there is a difference between carrying a bit of extra fat and being obese. "Just because someone is slightly overweight doesn't mean they're not healthy," says Keri Gans, a registered dietician and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Indeed, researchers and doctors are starting to understand that eating healthy foods and getting exercise can matter more than the number that appears when you step on the scale.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/...08082569868428

It just seems to be talking about small amounts of fat.

[Odina]

The major problem is most people fall into the obese BMI index yet THINK they are only overweight. The line between Overweight and Obese is pretty small and changes really fast! Skinny is not good either that leads to all kinds of other problems but if you are going to spout off about those eating healthy and exersizing then you should be comparing FIT people to Overweight people rather than normal BMI vs Overweight BMI since a normal BMI does not mean you go to the gym and eat healthy!

[reckoner04]

I read a bit more and it seems that the study has been conducted solely using BMI data. BMI is a statistical tool designed to classify populations/samples, not individuals. That would make it clear how there are some outliers who live longer, because they're probably not actually overweight (even though they have a high BMI). Though those findings wouldn't be surprising anyway, using BMI or some measure that can actually identify overweight people individually.

That's just my interpretation though, I'm no scientists though. Maybe I'm wrong. I don't really care about what you do to your body anyway.

[Tradewind]

Yeah, but this isnt some hack study from a fringe doctor or something. This the head of the CDC making the point

She isn't the head of the CDC...what the actual fuck are you reading? She works there, that's it.


uuugh fuck this thread already