Posted: Jan 1, 2013 2:00 PM by By Steven Reinberg TUESDAY, Jan.
1 (HealthDay News) -- A new international analysis reveals a
surprising pattern: while obesity increases the risk of dying
early, being slightly overweight reduces it. These studies
included almost 3 million adults from around the world, yet the
results were remarkably consistent, the authors of the analysis
noted. "For people with a medical condition, survival is
slightly better for people who are slightly heavier," said study
author Katherine Flegal, a senior research scientist at the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for
Health Statistics. Several factors may account for this finding,
Flegal added. "Maybe heavier people present to the doctor
earlier, or get screened more often," she said. "Heavier people
may be more likely to be treated according to guidelines, or fat
itself may be cardioprotective, or someone who is heavier might
be more resilient and better able to stand a shock to their
system." The report wa