So, do you need anymore incentive not to be obese? How about if you’re obese, you may just lop off an entire decade of your life!
According to a new analysis of 57 studies that included nearly a million people, average obesity can shorten your life between 2-4 years. Being very obese pushes it to 8-10 years!
In the study, men and women who had BMIs between 30 and 35 took 2-4 years off their lives. Having a BMI between 40 and 45 is the range that can take a decade off your life. Every 5 BMI points that you add to your total boosts mortality risk by 30 percent!
“This is scary and something that we should pay close attention to,” says Ali Mokdad, Ph.D., a professor of global health at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle.
(via: CNN)
One caveat that may or may not have been covered in the original research report:
Americans over 65-70 years old actually have maximal lifespan at a BMI between 25 and 30.
To confuse matters further, recent studies suggest that middle-aged and older people with congestive heart failure or coronary artery disease seem to live longer at BMI’s above 25. It’s called the “obesity paradox.”
-Steve