More Common Sense On Health
Via USA Today: "overweight and obese women spend an average of three more years in ill health than normal-weight women. Heavy men, on average, are sicker one more year than their thinner counterparts. Heavy people are more likely to suffer from pain, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses that may affect their ability to perform daily tasks ... An obese 30-year-old has as many chronic conditions as a normal-weight 50-year-old and reports quality of life that is worse than a 50-year-old." Correlation is not causation; a condition that prevents exercise can lead to weight gain if diet remains unchanged, for example. A look at what scientists understand about fat, inflammation and the roots of age-related disease should be a wake-up call, however. You have a great deal of control over the future trajectory of your health and its costs: make use of it.
Link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-07-27-healthweight_x.htm