Don't Sweat the Fat... Not all of it

We've heard it all before and keep listening ad nauseam: Work out daily, eat fiber, stay away from salt, fatty foods, McDonald’s, Krispy Kreme, Ben and Jerry’s, potato chips, and your mother’s desserts.

But guess what?  A body of research is beginning to show that people may actually be healthier with a few added pounds.

Can you hear me out there?  I'm not talking about another cup of cottage cheese.  There’s scientific evidence that says ten to to fifteen pounds is good for your health!   According to the Wall Street Journal those carrying a little excess have no greater risk of dying from heart disease or cancer than those of “normal” weight.

And if that’s doesn’t make you smile, here’s more.  The extra padding might actually strengthen your bones and make you look younger!

Hold on.  Be back in a minute.  Just scurrying into the kitchen to pick up a snack.  Not much in the refrigerator.  Damn, need to get to the store.  Oh here's some dark grapes, a little Swiss cheese, and some yogurt that's supposed to taste like red velvet cake--it doesn't--and then back to my desk.

Gulped some water.  No calories there.  So as I was saying...

Experts, of course, recognize that obesity is a serious health issue and a major crisis in our country today, but there's a difference between carrying added poundage and becoming obese.

“Just because someone is slightly overweight doesn’t mean they’re not healthy,” says, Keri Gans, a registered dietician and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Many doctors now believe that exercise and healthy eating can matter more than numbers on a scale.

                                                                                          
So go ahead and jiggle in your jeans without all the guilt.  People in their 70s, who are a little overweight, have a reduced chance of dying than those that are thinner.  And with fuller faces, they often look younger too.

Beatrice Golomb, a medical researcher and regular chocolate eater commented on a study that shows a link between chocolate consumption and mood. “I tell all my patients: Chocolate is a vegetable.”

And hey, who doesn’t love their vegetables?                                

I say, eat and enjoy, and save those green beans for breakfast.