LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Slowly adding on the pounds as you age may actually help you live longer.
But as 13 Action News Anchor Tricia Kean explains there are still a lot of questions surrounding this new research from doctors.
Researchers at the Ohio State University reviewed the medical histories of more than 8,000 parents and children tracking their body mass index.
Here's what they found: Patients who started with a normal BMI and added small amounts of weight as they aged survived the longest.
But researchers stress the weight gain should happen later in life, not in early adulthood.
And you should avoid reaching the point of obesity.
The findings left doctors like Dr. Roy Buchinsky from asking more questions.
He pointed out obesity is now the number one risk factor for disease.
Other doctors share his concerns.
This study also found younger generations are reaching obesity earlier than their parents did.
They are also more likely to have deaths linked to increasing obesity.
