Influence of Obesity on Longevity

[Guest guest]

Social Security may not be in as much trouble after all

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/352/11/1135

Mike

[Guest guest]

The authors estimate that normal weight could give individuals only 1/4 to

3/4 of a year more life. That's not enough to convince even me (although

I'm not going ad lib by any means)......

on 3/17/2005 8:23 AM, mikesheldrick at mike@... wrote:

>

> Social Security may not be in as much trouble after all

>

> http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/352/11/1135

>

> Mike

>

[Guest guest]

Yes. Sometime there needs to be a reconciliation of the data which

show, very approximately, a (not huge) extension of human lifespan of

somewhat less than one year for each BMI unit reduction from 30 to 23

on the one hand, and the (huge) 40% life extension in 40% restricted

mice on the other.

As previously noted ................ either the human lifespan

curve becomes very steep somewhere not very far below a BMI of 23, or

the mouse results are not applicable to humans.

Then there are the data which suggest that human mortality is

minimized somewhere between a BMI of 20 and 22 ......... and

probably in the upper half of that range. More on this latter data

set, perhaps, another time.

Rodney.

>

> >

> > Social Security may not be in as much trouble after all

> >

> > http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/352/11/1135

> >

> > Mike

> >