This is typically the time of year many of us vow to go on a diet. If you are motivated by the way you look, that's one thing, but if it's for longevity, you might want to reconsider.
Surprising results of a new study finds that being overweight might have real benefits.
Being overweight lowers risk of death, according to findings just released in the journal of the American Medical Association.
CDC researchers analyzed nearly 100 studies from the US and around the world dealing with BMI body mass index and death rates.
Dr. Katherine Flegal, a CDC Researcher, says there were nearly 3 million people in the studies and over 270 thousand deaths.
Those with a BMI in the overweight category fared better than those in the normal weight category.
"Sometimes that surprises people but they really should not be too surprised because in our categories of 97 studies, 80 per cent of them showed that there was lower mortality in overweight than in normal weight people,” says Dr. Flegal.
That, however, does not apply not if you're BMI is in the obese category.
Body mass index is a calculation based on your height and weight. A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.
