Many of us at this time of year are thinking about losing a few pounds. But – heresy – is that the right thing to do?
Obviously, if you are considerably overweight, it is a good thing to trim down for all sorts of reasons we could wax lyrical about. In this case, use the Lose Your Belly Fat Plan here which will steer you into an allergen-free low GL, highish protein, lowish carb type diet, the best approach I have ever come across for patients to lose and keep weight off.
However, a recent study suggests that a few extra pounds – note, a FEW extra pounds! – could actually be good for us, especially if you have a chronic illness or injury of some kind.
After analysing data from almost 3 million people across 10 countries, the researchers concluded:
People who are overweight with a BMI score of between 25 and 30 live longer than other groups—even those who are slim and have ‘normal’ weight and a BMI of 18.5 to 25.
Researchers think those few extra pounds actually have a protective effect, and provide energy reserves if you suffer a life-threatening illness or a serious injury.
You can read the summary from WDDTY here.
Certainly, I normally advise women post-menopause that a little extra fat can be a good thing since your hormone production is helped by it.
In other words, bring yourself into a healthy BMI range but you don’t need to go too mad. Now there’s some encouraging news to start the new year with 🙂