Healthiest weight just might be ‘overweight’
Long-term study in Denmark suggests that optimum body mass index is on the rise
Packing on a few pounds may not be such a bad thing.
As a group, overweight people are living the longest nowadays, suggests an almost four-decade study in Denmark published May 10 in JAMA. And obese people seem to be at no higher risk of dying than those of normal weight. The new analysis fuels ongoing debate about what’s a healthy body mass index — especially in light of rising obesity rates (SN: 5/14/16, p. 5), improved heart health treatments and other factors influencing health and longevity.