There is an old joke that goes as follow:  I was teaching my horse to live on less and less food.  He had just about learned the trick when he upped and died.  Clearly obesity brings with it a whole slew of associated health problems, but being too thin apparently is not the answer.

A Canadian research study suggests that A few extra pounds can help seniors live longer through illnesses.

The study suggests people with a bit more meat on their bones actually live longer than people who maintain a normal weight for their height.  The study, published online in Obesity Journal, examined the relationship between body-mass index and death among 11,326 adults in Canada between 1994 and 2007. BMI uses height and weight to estimate body fat.

A similar Japanese study found people who are a little overweight at age 40 live six to seven years longer than very thin people.

The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and involved researchers at Statistics Canada, Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland State University, Oregon Health & Science University, and McGill University.

Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, director of the Bariatric Medical Centre in Ottawa, agreed that elderly people benefit most from a few extra pounds, because fat can be used as an energy reserve in case they get sick and have to go to the hospital.  But the research does not suggest that seniors should keep a steady diet of fatty foods and high-calorie milkshakes, either.  “At the end of the day, people have to live the healthiest life they can enjoy living. Period,” said Freedhoff.

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• Few extra pounds may protect Canadians from early death (cbc.ca)
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Technorati Tags: BMI, Body mass index, Obesity, research