In an experiment published by the Journal of The American Geriatrics Society, scientists discovered that overweight elderly people had an increased survival rate. The geriatrics were determined to be "overweight" by the BMI (Body Mass Index) system (a ratio between body weight and height).
"The study began in 1996 and recruited 4,677 men and 4,563 women. The participants were followed for ten years or until their death, whichever was sooner, and factors such as lifestyle, demographics, and health were measured. The research uncovered that mortality risk was lowest for participants with a BMI classified as overweight, with the risk of death reduced by 13% compared with normal weight participants. The benefits were only seen in the overweight category not in those people who are obese."
This could mean that having some extra weight on your frame is actually beneficial, as opposed to the end of human existence. Or it could mean that the BMI is a horrible way to measure if a person is overweight or not.
This is interesting because doctors are always telling everyone that being overweight is bad for your health. Well now they say that being overweight when you are over 70 is actually beneficial. It actually makes sense because when you are older and become sick, you tend to lose a lot of weight and become abnormally skinny, which is really bad for a person over 70. But if you have a little "extra baggage", then when lose weight, you are still in the healthy range.
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