A Few Extra Pounds Might Bring Extra Years

HealthDay, June, 2009 by Robert Preidt

A new study finds that being overweight -- but not obese -- might help you live longer.

In the study of more than 11,000 Canadian adults, overweight people lived longer than normal-weight people, while those who were either extremely obese or underweight died at an earlier age than normal-weight people.

The findings do not mean that normal-weight people should try to pack on extra pounds, the researchers said.

"It may be that a few extra pounds actually protect older people as their health declines, but that doesn't mean that people in the normal weight range should try to put on a few pounds," said study co-author Mark Kaplan, a professor of community health at Portland State University.

The study followed 11,326 adults in Canada for 12 years. Compared to...

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