Those higher mortality rates start <i>above</i> what qualifies as &quot;mildly obese,&quot; though.  Even discounting factors such as existing illness and smoking, people with higher weights (weights below the &quot;obese&quot; definition) in general have longer lives.<p>Once you go beyond the &quot;overweight&quot; (or perhaps mildly obese, which has a negligible uptick in mortality) then the curve starts changing very rapidly.<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.independent.co.uk&#x2F;life-style&#x2F;health-and-families&#x2F;features&#x2F;why-being-overweight-means-you-live-longer-the-way-scientists-twist-the-facts-10158229.html" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.independent.co.uk&#x2F;life-style&#x2F;health-and-families&#x2F;...</a><p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;healthland.time.com&#x2F;2013&#x2F;01&#x2F;02&#x2F;being-overweight-is-linked-to-lower-risk-of-mortality&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;healthland.time.com&#x2F;2013&#x2F;01&#x2F;02&#x2F;being-overweight-is-li...</a>