Heftier People Live Longer

>Then there's me. Most of my life I've been pretty obsessive
>about what I eat, I watch the scale like a hawk, I'm moody and
>I worry a lot. I'm a neat freak. I'm high maintenance and
>happiness does not come naturally to me.

Gosh, Nancy... I feel like you've just described ME. The mood swings, the worrywart qualities (I used to bite my nails 'til they bled -- my son's OT explained this as an "organizing" mechanism), the obsession for neatness and, yep, organization, the happiness that I have to actively work at every damn day... Motherhood kicked the high maintenance thing to kingdom come, but given the opportunity to have one measly, stinking day to myself, I'll use all that time to be righteously selfish.:)

Will I live long? I don't know. My father had cancer. He died at 59. My mother has scoliosis, osteoarthritis, hypertension, and a myoma in her uterus. My genes aren't exactly primo material. Also, I honestly believe that if I hadn't gotten married and become a mom, I'd live longer. But this has more to do with lifestyle than weight.

Pinky
 
>
>Bottom line: In terms of our health, I may have a physical
>advantage over my DH, but I think he has an
>emotional/personality advantage over me. In short, it's
>perfectly possible he could out-live me!
>
>See my point?


Yes! That makes complete sense and I do see your point. I never really thought about it that way. You sound like me in some ways! :) I wish I could be more at ease about things.
 
Diane Sue,
I agree with you. My DH grew up on a farm too - same thing- real cream, etc. His whole family (13 brothers and sisters) are all so healthy. His Grandma lived to 103. I'm with you about cooking my own food. And, I also stay away from artificial sweeteners.

Joanne
 
This, I can agree with. I can see that 5-10 pounds may protect you. But to say that a person who may fall under the category of "obese" is going to last longer than me with my BMI of 19, I don't accept that.

The people with the greatest longevity on the planet are found among the Japanese and they do not fall under the category of obese. Healthy weights, yes.

Sorry Nancy, don't mean this as criticism of you and thank you for reporting the article. I just hold the science up behind it as extremely suspect!

Clare
 
But Nancy, what you are striving to prove here is in fact a theory which advocates in favour of an optimistic approach to life versus an anxiety ridden life. We have then just changed the parameters of study affecting longevity from BMI as primary factor to mental attitude and emotional response to life, i.e. our reactions to stress.

And yes, it's the greater stress you suffer that ages you, not your BMI. And it is your husband's happpy-go-lucky, optimistic view of life that will protect him from aging, not his BMI.

Your mental attitudes here dictate your actions and dietary vchoices, and not vice versa. I reckon!



Clare :)
 
Very true, Clare. I did not complete my logic circle.

It is my working contention that, although some people are naturally thin, that the majority of thin Americans are control freaks who may know how to eat right, but don't know how to let loose, and that more overweight people are a tad bit more able to go with the flow and just eat what they enjoy, without checking to see how many fat grams the food contains. In other words, I am hypothesizing that a higher BMI may indicate a certain type of personality which in turn may indicate a longer life expectancy. But of course there are lots of calm, thin people, so I know I'm treading on thin ice here with this hypothesis. I love trying to figure out these studies. :)
 
>And yes, it's the greater stress you suffer that ages you, not
>your BMI. And it is your husband's happpy-go-lucky,
>optimistic view of life that will protect him from aging, not
>his BMI.
>
>Your mental attitudes here dictate your actions and dietary
>vchoices, and not vice versa. I reckon!

Clare,

I agree with you 100% on this. Stress causes a lot of physical & mental problems.

I am 5'3? and now weigh 148; but before I really got into working out, I use to weigh close to 180 and it never dawn on me that I was heavy esp. for my height. Then I got to working out, didn't know the first thing about protein intake, eating clean, nothing and I use to complain constantly about my weight b/c I was gaining muscle but I didn't see the #'s on the scale going down. Although I was not thin I was still stressing myself big time to the point I was freaking breaking out in hives every time I went to the gym. Then I chilled because I could no longer look at myself all prickly and itchy x( x( x( x( x( x( .

The obessiveness has ended, I basically eat what I want but in moderation and work out to Cathe and Cathe only, with an ocassionally Power Strike, and I think I look damn good.

I look at it like this, when God wants you He's gonna get you thin or heavy.


http://www.PictureTrail.com/haydee1

Haydee
 
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