The Cost Of Fat: Three To Eight Years Of Life

Forget the money; let’s talk about time alive. A new study by researchers at McGill University Health Centre suggests that being fat can shorten our life by three to eight years. The study, which used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (from years 2003 to 2010) to analyze the contribution of excess body weight to years of life lost and healthy years of life lost, found that people who were very obese could lose up to 8 years of life, obese people could lose up to 6 years, and those who were overweight could lose up to three years. Wait, there’s more: Healthy life-years lost were two to four times higher for overweight and obese people, compared to those who had a healthy weight, defined as 18.5-25 body mass index (BMI). A McGill University news release reports that the age at which the excess weight was gained was an important factor, with the worst outcomes for people who gained their weight at earlier ages.