Too much of a good thing is wonderful, and food is no exception. Statistically, overeaters might even live longer than those of us who've taught ourselves to say no to a second helping of deepfried cheesecake.
Overweight people have a lower risk of early death than those whose weight is regarded as normal, according to a study of weight and mortality in the US in 2000. The figures show that underweight is also associated with excess deaths, although not as strongly as high obesity. Although the death rate does rise quickly in the very obese, the finding has brought an immediate accusation that the serious health consequences of expanding waistlines in developed countries have been overstated.
Amusing, no? I wonder what the government nannies who constantly tell us to eat less — and to exercise up to 90 minutes a day — have to say about the report. Or the British school administrators who've been trying to establish junkfood-free zones around schools, akin to drug-free zones. Good intentions aside, they might be coaxing people into an early grave.
Barry Glassner, a sociology professor at the University of Southern California, said: "The take-home message from this study, it seems to me, is unambiguous. "What is officially deemed overweight these days is actually the optimal weight."
I'll have a double fatburger and a large fries with mayo, please.
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