Moderate fullness prolongs life
Ilya Ulyanov, "Kompyulenta"
A recent study by Japanese nutritionists showed that older people who tend to slightly increase body weight live longer than their slimmer peers. This is written by one of the largest daily newspapers in the country, the Asahi Shimbun.
However, the discovery of scientists does not mean that everyone should start gaining weight. First, scientists warn that "healthy fullness" has nothing to do with obesity. Secondly, in order to live longer, at an earlier age it is necessary to maintain a normal body weight.
According to the head of the study, Toshimi Sairenchi, associate professor at Dokchio Medical University, when it comes to optimal weight, it is necessary to take into account the age of a person.
Scientists observed 32 thousand men and 62 thousand women aged 40 to 79 years who lived in Ibaraki Prefecture from 1993 to 2003. At the beginning of the study, all these people underwent a medical examination. During the reporting period, 3,930 men and 3,164 women died. Excluding the influence of other factors (bad habits, accidents), the researchers focused on calculating the dependence of the mortality rate in each generation on body weight.
As the main tool, scientists used the so-called Body Mass Index (BMI). This indicator is calculated by the ratio of a person's height and weight. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered the norm. If the index exceeds 25, it indicates overweight. A BMI above 30 indicates obesity. Various variants of BMI calculators can be found on the Web.
According to the results of observation, the mortality rate among men aged 40 to 50 years was minimal with a BMI of 23.4. However, for men 60-70 years old, this value was equal to 25.3. For middle-aged Japanese women, the optimal BMI was 21.6. Elderly Japanese women live longer with a BMI of 23.4.
Meanwhile, the study showed that for young people, the risk of developing pathologies of the cardiovascular system associated with excess weight at times overrides all the advantages of a saturated diet.
According to the results of previous studies, BMI 22 was recognized as ideal. Middle-aged people with this indicator are less prone to diseases than others. However, then scientists excluded people over 60 years of age from observation, and Toshimi Sairenchi was the first to correct this omission.
Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru23.10.2008