Frazz Comic Strip, January 08, 2013 on GoComics.com

Actually, the very latest scientific findings indicate that being SLIGHTLY overweight is correlated with longer life than so-called “normal” weight. (Yes, this came as a surprise to the researchers, too.) Gross overweight continues to be bad in many different ways, however.

frumdebang said, 5 months ago

@Richard S. Russell

Define “slightly.” I may be on to something here.

Jenn said, 5 months ago

I used to care for a woman in a nursing home whom had been a dancer her whole life. She was the only one in the facility that could still walk around, with a cane, rather than be stuck in a wheelchair or geri-chair.

zoidknight said, 5 months ago

You do have to remember that the scam that came up with the BMI originated with those in the diet industry. And you also have to remember, that according to the BMI, to be a healthy weight, you have to be anorexic or bolemic. Even muscular body builders and athletes are considered grossly obese according to the BMI scam.

Mike said, 5 months ago

@frumdebang

“slightly”=“BMI of 25 to 29.9” per article at http://www.dubaichronicle.com/2013/01/07/slightly-overweight-people-live-longer/

magicwalnut said, 5 months ago

@Mike

Thanks, Mike. You made my day.

I learned how to play ice hockey at 54, and am paying for it now, but oh,man,it was worth it!

I ran across a study once that indicated cranky people live longer. Cranky and ‘slightly overweight’….I should live to be two hundred!

Stephen Gilberg said, 5 months ago

@zoidknight

I don’t think it’s a scam, just a bad formula ignorantly based on two dimensions instead of three. And you don’t need anorexia or bulimia; I’m in the healthy range with neither.

What-D-Hey said, 5 months ago

Thumbs up to the researchers who actually admitted that their research showed the opposite of what they were (probably) trying to prove. Wonder how many actually do that.

sonorhC said, 5 months ago

I’d be interested in what demographic controls the study included. Going by that link, it looks like they looked at a wide range of economic statuses in the countries they surveyed, and people in poorer countries are likely to be lower-weight and to have a shorter lifespan. It’s only in rich countries like the US that obesity is a real problem. In this case, the study would not imply that being rich and overweight is better than being rich and normal weight.

ncalifgirl58 said, 5 months ago

Too much of anything isn’t good for you.

PipeTobacco said, 5 months ago

@zoidknight

Zoidknight, you are seriously misinformed if you think that BMI is a scam put forth by the “diet industry”. BMI is scientifically based research measure that attempts to show a range of body sizes relating height and weight to people of average habits. Of course there will be outliers (athletes who are purposefully building muscle above average will skew into the wrong category to use your example). But the reality is that for the average person, the BMI range that signifies normal weight is the weight a person should aim for. I used the BMI numbers when I lost 100 pounds (6 years ago) to help motivate me towards my goal. I now weigh 180, which is right in the normal BMI range for me.

starlady1 said, 4 months ago

Oh, the righteous and the lazy.