The "weight of life" may not allow us to live longer. Life becomes a burden for many on grounds of issues such as depression, but it may literally become a burden for those who are overweight with researchers at the School of Public Health at Loma Linda University claiming that extra body fat may cut off some years of life in overweight senior people in comparison to those who maintain a normal body weight.
Researchers followed 6,030 healthy adults over a period of 29 years. The researchers measured the body weight of these individuals several times during the course of the study. The subjects were non-smokers. The results led researchers to find out a direct relationship between higher BMI or height-to-weight ratio and shorter life expectancy.
Figures indicated that men aged 75 years or older and those with a BMI higher than 22.3 will live approximately four years less than those who had a lower BMI figure. In case of women, a BMI higher than 27.4, was found to be associated with a 2 year shorter life expectancy compared to women who had normal body weight.
The differences in the figures in men and women can be explained from the fact that postmenopausal women have their fat deposits as the ultimate source of estrogen, which may offer protection against heart problems and hip injuries. Researchers are now interested to find out how lifestyle patterns would enable individuals to maintain healthy body weight.
