Over- or Underweight Makes one Compromise on Life Expectancy Rates

Extreme Weight Measures Don’t Add Up Well

Overt weight consciousness crosses danger line sometimes. Desire to lose weight sometimes turns into greed to weigh below normal weight ranges. Sadly, both underweight and overweight are bad for us. Repeated insistence on the dire consequences of obesity as well as the plight of malnutrition has made most of the people aware of their impending health consequences and resulting diseases. A team of researchers have gone one step forward and observed the fact that being underweight or overweight could take off four years from your precious lifespan!

We blame obesity for diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, heart failures and stroke while malnutrition too leads to numerous diseases and health conditions such as anemia, joint pain and others due to lack of enough nutrients supporting normal life functioning. 

Effect of Inappropriate Weight on Lifespan

A study published in the Lancet journal shows that being underweight or overweight reduces lifespan by 4 years from the individual’s life. This was one of the largest studies that included more than 2 million people. The study results showed that:

• Individuals above the age of 40 who were at the higher end of the healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) were at a lower risk of death due to diseases
• Individuals whose BMI were close to the extreme range definitions were at a greater risk of a shortened lifespan
• Life expectancy was 4.2 years shorter for men and 3.5 years shorter for women existing in the obese category compared to healthy individuals; Life expectancy was 4.3 years shorter in underweight men and 4.5 years shorter in underweight women compared to healthy weighted individuals
• People with a BMI below 21 faced increased risk of death indicating that underweight is a serious indicator of poor health

Despite such clear indications from the study many people are doubtful about the effectiveness of BMI as a good measure. Till date, BMI stands as a good measure among the general population alongside waist circumference. Dietitians and nutritionists are sure that even a small reduction in BMI values could promote good health of the body. It improves diabetes levels, decreases mortality rates and increases total health of the body.

Sadly, 90% countries in this world are gripped by the ‘double burden’ where both obesity and undernourishment rates are high. A person might seem to stay on a healthy weight but suffer from underlying fat storage,e but it can never happen that a person is obese but still healthy. Healthy obesity is only a myth and the fact always remains that obese people are at a higher risk of diseases comparatively on any given day. Lifestyle and eating habits are the main contributing factors of obesity while underweight is mainly due to poor economic status, inability to purchase good food or unavailability of enough food to satisfy the need of an entire population of the city/country. Adapting a healthier lifestyle and following disciplined eating habits becomes easier with the help of registered dietitian nutritionists at www.firsteatright.com.