Don't be afraid to put on small amounts of body fat – it may actually be good for you
Did you know that a little extra weight may actually be good for you? According to the results of a recent research, people who are in the overweight (BMI between 25 and 29.9) and slightly obese (BMI between 30 and 35) categories are about 6% and 5% less likely to die within a given time period as compared to those who are in the normal weight range category.
Uncovering an Important Medical Breakthrough
In a report published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Katherine M. Flegal, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US, and her team of experts expounded on the direct connection between excess weight and life expectancy. After looking at the health information of about 2.8 million people from 97 countries in North and South America, Europe and Asia, these researchers found that a little extra weight can indeed help prolong a person's life. How is this possible? Let's take a closer look.
A little extra weight can lengthen your life span. There are a number of reasons why being on the heavier side can help you live a longer life. Here are some possible reasons that may explain why this is so.
Small amounts of excess fat can help you in times of illness. Having a healthy percentage of fat in your body can come in handy in times of illness. Your body fat serves as an emergency energy reserve that can be released the moment you need it to allow you to cope up with your condition. This can be especially useful if you experience any trouble eating.
People who are on the heavier side are more likely to seek medical treatment. In addition, medical professionals tend to treat these people more aggressively for medical conditions such as high blood pressure as compared to their leaner counterparts.
Overweight people are not prone to osteoporosis. They also have the necessary padding that can help them sustain a fall.
Body fat protects your heart and other body organs. Body fat cushions your organs to protect them from unnecessary damage.
A little extra body fat can, indeed, do you a lot of good. However, accumulating a lot of body fat or having a BMI of 35 or higher can negate all the aforementioned health benefits and may increase your risk of dying earlier as compared to those who are in the normal weight range by as much as 29%.