In a 2005 study, Flegal and her team reported that while being obese (having a BMI of 30 or above) shortened lifespan, those who were overweight (a BMI of 25 to 29.9) were at no greater risk of death, and may actually have had a lower mortality rate in a given time period than their normal-weight peers.

While the study kicked up a lot of controversy—some people thought the findings minimized the health effects of excess weight—several other studies have also found no greater mortality risk associated with being overweight (but not obese), and possibly lower mortality, Flegal notes.

Given the difficulty of losing weight, the authors of the new study say, it may be best if people are motivated to prevent the weight gain in the first place. For example, a person who held their BMI steady at 28 rather than going up to 32 (typical of the increase seen in middle age) could extend their life by two years, the researchers say, while a young adult who maintained a BMI of 24 rather than going up to 32 could add three years to his lifespan.

For this to happen here, Mokdad notes, the United States government is going to have to do a much better job of supporting prevention efforts. A “bailout” for such efforts that translated to healthier citizens and workers could be a pretty effective economic stimulus, he added.

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