Stay Jolly! Doctors Say It's Not so Bad to Be Fat

Federal researchers have dropped a bombshell on the American public: fat people live longer.

Diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, various infections, and lung disease are all greatly reduced in those who are moderately overweight, compared to those who are underweight, normal, or obese. While overweight people have an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers, this risk doesn't negate the apparent health benefits of being a little hefty - they simply live longer.

Body Mass Index is calculated based on a person's height and weight (online BMI calculator). Dr. Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, of U.C. San Diego, says that a Body Mass Index of 25-30 "may be optimal," as opposed to the previously believed ideal BMI of 18-25.

However, correlation does not imply causation. In other words - a higher BMI seems to cause a lower death rate, but that might not be the case. Lung disease, one of the uncommon causes of death in the overweight, is typically caused by smoking, a habit which often leads to being thin or underweight. And there are a myriad of other health risks connected with a BMI between 25 and 30. Women with a BMI of 27 or higher who are on the birth control pill can expect a much higher risk of pregnancy, research says.

But maybe the researches have discovered something important. In the past, big was beautiful. Overweight people were considered more attractive, more affluent, and healthier. Since the advent of the camera, which supposedly "adds ten pounds," skinny people have become the new idols to emulate. In Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, a woman says, "it's unfortunate what we find pleasing to the touch and pleasing to the eye is seldom the same." Is that about to change?

It's unlikely that this news will cause anyone to modify their eating habits. In general, thin people stay thin, and chunky people stay chunky - I have been on and off various diets since I was thirteen, and my BMI remains stubbornly in the "overweight" range. But maybe, just maybe, this research will motivate people to focus on health instead of thinness.