Overweight? You May Lose 3 – 10 Years of Life
Tracking almost a million people for an average of 10 to 15 years, researchers at the University of Oxford found that people with a body mass index (BMI) between 30 and 35, which is categorized as “obese,” cut their lives short by about 3 years on average. Those with a BMI of over 40 (categorized as “morbidly obese”) lost 10 years from their expected lifespan, which is similar to the health impact of a lifetime of smoking!
BMI is a research tool for studying large populations, and it may not always be accurate. If you are muscular or have a large frame, you may be categorized as obese when your body fat is actually not that high. But I think we all know it when we’re over the top on the body fat scale, as well as whether or not we’re getting enough exercise.
If you’ve ever watched The Biggest Loser on TV, and seen the participants get their health reports from the show’s doctors, you’ve seen the incredible damage that excess fat can have on your body’s entire system. It becomes all too obvious that those folks are literally fighting for their lives.
Being overweight and not exercising are associated with increased risk of death from heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer. But you can also harm yourself by trying out every new diet fad or by taking supplements containing untested ingredients. The FDA recently expanded their list of potentially harmful diet supplements to a total of 69. Some of these supplements actually have active ingredients that are not even listed on the label and ingredients known to be harmful or that are illegal in the U.S.
The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: Keeping your weight in a healthy range and staying active are two of the main things you can control that impact your health and the length of your life. Eat sensibly and exercise regularly. If you need to lose weight, there are also safe, natural weight loss aids that can help.
