New research suggests that people with BMIs under 30 but above
normal (the overweight range) had a 6 percent lower risk of
dying from all causes than those who were normal weight, while
those whose BMIs fell into the obese range were 18 percent more
likely to die of any cause
The study results imply that carrying some extra weight may help
you live longer, but it used only BMI as a measure of body
composition, and this is a heavily flawed technique
Relative to BMI, measuring your waist size and your body fat
percentage are far more accurate methods to determine whether
you’re at risk of weight-related health problems like heart
disease and diabetes
By Dr. Mercola
Provocative new research involving data from nearly 3
million adults suggests that a having an overweight body
mass index (BMI) may be linked to a longer life than one
that puts you within a “normal” weight range.
The research, which analyzed 97 studies in all, found
that people with BMIs under 30 but above normal (the
overweight range) had a 6 percent lower risk of dying from
all causes than those who were normal weight, while those
whose BMIs fell into the obese range were 18 percent
more likely to die of any cause.1
The researchers wrote:
“Relative to normal weight … overweight was
associated with significantly lower all-cause
mortality.”
Do a Few Extra Pounds Make You Healthier?
The study results imply, at least superficially, that
carrying some extra weight may help you live longer … or at
the very least may not be as unhealthy as it’s made
out to be. In a JAMA editorial, Steven Heymsfield, M.D. and
William Cefalu, M.D. highlighted this notion:2
“The presence of a wasting disease, heart
disease, diabetes, renal dialysis, or older age are all
associated with an inverse relationship between BMI and
mortality rate, an observation termed the obesity
paradox or reverse epidemiology.
The optimal BMI linked with lowest mortality in
patients with chronic disease may be within the
overweight and obesity range.
Even in the absence of chronic disease, small
excess amounts of adipose tissue may provide needed
energy reserves during acute catabolic illnesses, have
beneficial mechanical effects with some types of
traumatic injuries, and convey other salutary effects
that need to be investigated in light of the studies … "
Indeed, it is quite possible to be overweight and
healthy, just as it’s possible to be normal weight and
unhealthy. But for the vast majority of those who carry
around extra pounds, health problems will often result.
The study has been heavily criticized for painting an
overly simplistic picture of a very complex situation. For
instance, it doesn’t tell you whether those living longer
were afflicted with more chronic disease or whether their
quality of life was otherwise impacted. And even more
importantly, it used only BMI as a measure of body
composition, and this is a highly flawed technique.
Many studies, such as one published in the Journal of
the American College of Cardiology,3
have actually found that a high BMI was associated with a
lower risk of death, a phenomenon known as the "obesity
paradox." But these findings are typically only examples of
how BMI is such a flawed measurement tool …
Why BMI is a Flawed Measurement Tool
If you'd like to know how much body fat you have and
whether or not your levels put you into a weight category
that might lead to health problems, most public health
agencies, and therefore most physicians, promote the use of
the BMI, which gauges weight in relation to height. But this
method is quite flawed, as research suggests it may
underestimate obesity rates and misclassify up to
one-quarter of men and nearly half of women.4
According to lead author Dr. Eric Braverman, president of
the nonprofit Path Foundation in New York City:5
"Based on BMI, about one-third of Americans are
considered obese, but when other methods of measuring
obesity are used, that number may be closer to 60%."
One of the primary reasons why BMI is such a flawed
measurement tool is that it uses weight as a
measure of risk, when it is actually a high percentage of
body fat that makes a person have an increased
disease risk. Your weight takes into account your bone
structure, for instance, so a big-boned person may weigh
more, but that certainly doesn't mean they have more body
fat.
Athletes and completely out-of-shape people can also have
similar BMI scores, or a very muscular person could be
classified as "obese" using BMI, when in reality it is
mostly lean muscle accounting for their higher-than-average
weight. BMI also tells you nothing about where fat
is located in your body, and it appears that the location of
the fat, particularly if it's around your stomach, is more
important than the absolute amount of fat when it comes to
measuring certain health risks, especially heart disease.
Do You Know Your Body Fat Percentage?
This is another useful tool that is leaps and bounds
ahead of BMI as far as gauging your weight-related health
risks is concerned. It is FAR better to monitor your body
fat percentage than it is your total weight, as the body fat
percentage is what dictates metabolic health or dysfunction
– not your total weight.
Too much body fat is linked to chronic health problems
like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease,
diabetes, and cancer, while too little body fat is also
problematic and can cause your body to enter a catabolic
state, where muscle protein is used as fuel.
Body fat calipers are one of the most trusted and most
accurate ways to measure body fat. A body fat or skinfold
caliper is a lightweight, hand-held device that quickly and
easily measures the thickness of a fold of your skin with
its underlying layer of fat. Taken at three very specific
locations on your body, these readings can help you estimate
the total percent of body fat within your entire body.
You can also use a digital scale that determines body
fat, which is what I use personally. I use an Eat Smart
Precision GetFit Body Fat Scale that I picked up from Amazon
for around $50. Although many body fat measurements can be
inaccurate, they are nearly all more accurate than BMI, and
are particularly useful to determine whether you are gaining
or losing fat. Although the absolute value may be off, the
direction you are going (whether your body fat is going up
or down) will be very accurate, and this is an incredibly
useful measure of whether you're nearing your health goals
or not. A general guideline from the American Council on
Exercise is as follows:6
Classification
Women (percent fat)
Men (percent fat)
Essential Fat
10-13 percent
2-5 percent
Athletes
14-20 percent
6-13 percent
Fitness
21-24 percent
14-17 percent
Acceptable
25-31 percent
18-24 percent
Obese
32 percent and higher
25 percent and higher
Overweight Often Leads to Obesity…
It is quite clear that the more overweight you are, the
greater the health risks become. So even if it were true
that a few extra pounds are actually good for you, if you’re
on a path of weight gain you’re on a slippery slope that
could easily lead to obesity.
The most recent health report card issued for the United
States predicts that half of all American adults will be
obese by 2030. Obesity-related illness is predicted to raise
national health care costs by $48 billion annually over the
next two decades by adding another 7.9 million new cases of
diabetes, 5 million cases of chronic heart disease and
stroke, and 400,000 cancer cases…7
If you want to avoid becoming one of these statistics, I
suggest you start to look at your weight as less a product
of “calories in vs. calories out” and more the result of a
faulty “fat switch.” According to Dr. Richard Johnson of the
University of Colorado, author of The Fat Switch:
"Those of us who are obese eat more because of a
faulty 'switch' and exercise less because of a low
energy state. If you can learn how to control the
specific 'switch' located in the powerhouse of each of
your cells – the mitochondria – you hold the key to
fighting obesity."
Here are some highlights that Dr. Johnson explains in
detail in his book:
Large portions of food and too little exercise are
the result of your fat switch being turned on
Metabolic Syndrome is the normal condition that
animals undertake to store fat
Fructose-containing sugars cause obesity not by
calories but by turning on the fat switch
Effective treatment of obesity requires turning off
your fat switch and improving the function of your
cells' mitochondria
I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book, which
has been described as the "Holy Grail" for those struggling
with their weight. Dietary sugar, especially fructose, is a
significant "tripper of your fat switch," which is why, if
you are serious about losing weight, you'll need a
comprehensive plan that includes:
Eliminating or strictly limiting fructose in your
diet, and following the healthy eating program in my
comprehensive nutrition plan. You can also use
intermittent fasting strategically with this program
to greatly boost your body's fat-burning potential.
Addressing the emotional component of eating. For
this I highly recommend the
Emotional Freedom
Technique (EFT), which helps eliminate your food
cravings naturally.