The following is the opinion of an independent third party, not ERRX LLC
A little "overweight" is good!
#1 "Little" is the key word here!
A controversial study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) seems to indicate that being a little overweight is OK.
The study found a small decrease in death rates for people with a Body Mass Index that was between 25 and 29.9. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study prompted them to cut the estimate of obesity-related deaths to 112,000 annually, a large decrease from the their previous estimate of 400,000.
One factor not apparent in the study is the fact that most people die after age 70. In the elderly, extra fat gives rise to bone and muscle, which is protective in a medical crisis. The CDC also says that medical advances could be partly responsible for lengthening the lives of overweight people.
The CDC has apologized for any confusion the study causes. They say it definitely is not OK to be overweight. Note that it is also not OK to be underweight. The study shows that people with a BMI below 18.5 had the same mortality rate as those with a Body Mass Index of 40 or more.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute notes that waist size is an important factor in health. Muscular people, for example, may have a BMI over 30, but still have a small waist. Those who have a BMI over 30 but have a waist size of 35 inches for women or 40 inches for men have a much lower risk of obesity-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
For those with trim waists, the Institute advises weight loss if they have two other risk factors such as high cholesterol, blood sugar, or blood pressure.
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