Being overweight can decrease your life span according to new research that proves that a few extra pounds is harmful.
Baby boomers who were even just a little overweight were more likely to die prematurely than those who were at a healthy weight, according to researchers.
While obesity has been known to contribute to early death, the link between being overweight and dying prematurely has been controversial. Some experts have argued that a few extra pounds does no harm.
However, this is one of the first major studies to account for the factors of smoking and chronic illness, which can complicate efforts to figure out how much weight itself is responsible for early death.
“The cumulative evidence is now even stronger,” said Dr. Michael Thun, chief epidemiologist of the American Cancer Society who had no role in the research. “Being overweight does increase health risks. It’s not simply a cosmetic or social problem.”
An estimated two-thirds of Americans adults are overweight or obese, according to federal statistics. Obesity raises the risk of heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and some cancers. Being overweight increases blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which in turn could lead to heart disease.
In an analysis of 186,000 healthy people — who had never smoked — overweight people were 20 to 40 percent more likely to die prematurely than normal-weight people. The risk increased two- to three-fold for obese people.
In a separate study of 1.2 million Korean patients, ages 30 to 95, researchers from the Yonsei University in South Korea and Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health reported similar findings.
Among about half a million healthy non-smokers, overweight people had a 10 to 50 percent greater risk of dying from heart disease or cancer than normal-weight people.
The two studies clearly show that being overweight “is not a benign condition,” said Dr. Frank Hu, an epidemiologist and obesity researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health.
“The public health message should be loud and clear: Maintaining a healthy weight and preventing weight gain in middle age is important to maintaining longevity,” said Hu, who was not connected to the research.
-Associated Press
Dr. Keith and Laurie Nemec’s comments on A Few Extra Pounds Can Kill You:
Interesting in this study was they found that it wasn’t just obesity that increases the risk of disease and the risk of likelihood of early death. Dr. Michael Thun, chief epidemiologist of the American Cancer Society, who said being overweight does increase health risks. It’s not simply a cosmetic or social problem. What the study showed was in overweight people, this doesn’t have to be obese, just overweight people, there is 20-40% more likely chance to die prematurely than normal weight people. The risk increased two to three fold for obese people. And this goes against the studies that contradict the controversial research, the federal center for disease control that suggested being a little bit overweight isn’t so bad. So, what is the answer? The answer is obvious. We’re not designed to carry any extra weight. If you look at the animal kingdom, the only animals that have any extra weight is for a protective mechanism or for insulation. So animals don’t carry fat. Animals are lean and healthy because they eat a living/raw plant based diet or they eat other animals alive. They don’t eat cooked food which turns into excessive calories and weight. They get all exercise and they live a naturally healthy lifestyle, because that’s what nature is.
How can we avoid excessive pounds if we live the 7 Basic Steps? Especially of the 7 Basic Steps that we make sure we eat a living/raw plant based diet, which is very difficult to be overweight when you eat this diet, in fact, near impossible unless you have other hormonal or glandular problems. Number 2 we have to get to sleep, the hormonal system goes out of balance and in it is proven that people can become thyroid imbalanced and increased weight and decrease immune system function by not getting the proper amount of sleep which is 9.5 hours, which at least 3 ½ hours should be before midnight. The next one is exercise which is critical. And the more we exercise, the more we move the body the more calories we burn. And then of course, fasting and detoxification. Fasting will lead to weight loss but so will detoxification because a lot of people retain weight and fluid because the body is holding on to the fluid to delete the toxins that are in the system. And then a lifestyle of prayer and meditation is one that reduces stress and when stress is reduced a person eats less and gains less weight and also when stress is reduced, inflammation is reduced. All health challenges including, being overweight and obese, they would be reduced.
