As I go through my 30′s, I am finding, that even with a weekly routine of running 3-4 tines a week, I still have about 10 pounds over my weight, when I was in m 20′s. Which is sort of how it goes, and I think that I would have to make some serious changes to burn off all my “excessive” body fat.
But realistically, wouldn’t this decrease my life expectancy. In the worst case scenario, Michael jackson, who just died at 50. Which got me to thinking about this all. If you diet into your 50′s, he was an extreme case, and most likely had an eating disorder. But I am finding that some of my choices, have left rationale, as well. Not that extreme, mind you.
But wouldn’t having an underwear model type body, actually shave years off your life. I mean you essentially have to trick your body, to go into overdrive, pretty much doing possible heart damage. When you think of the consequences, you maybe skinny, but you will be dead.
I am referring to high protein diet, uber restricted carbs, and then upping the cardio to the max, that sort of lifestyle. I also hear about random people dropping dead, being super fitness nuts. Not just the celebrities.
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There are actually a couple of studies that seem to link low calorie diets with slight increases in the length of life:
http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/DietNutrition/1626
“A lifetime of reduced caloric intake, consuming on average about 1,500 calories per day, would result in only a 7% extension in human lifespan, according to a mathematical model.”
But you are absolutely right- most people go about being thin in the wrong ways, either through poor diet or malnutrition. Be careful about your waistline though- many studies have shown that health problems are often linked to your belt size. The fat that you carry around your belly can be dangerous.
The best thing to do is to keep your waist a reasonable size without compromising the quality of your diet and supplement that with regular cardio. But that isn’t to say that health nuts don’t die before 40 while people who smoke a pack a day die in their 70′s. Still, it doesn’t hurt your odds
Life is a tricky thing. Eleanor Roosevelt took care of her health, swam on a daily basis and still dropped dead at only 78. Winston Churchill on the other hand was overweight for much of his life, smoked, drank like a fish, gave little attention to his health, suffered strokes, heart attacks and pneumonia numerous times throughout his life and lived to age 90. The best thing would be to pray to God that you are blessed with a long life and eat a balanced died and don’t smoke and get moderate amounts of exercise.
I don’t have the article in front of me, but I read in Science News a few months ago of a study showing that having a few extra pounds in middle age tended to reduce mortality rates. The extra fat provided some health benefits.
Of course the caveat is the word “few”.