Few extra pounds help live longer

London, Dec 22 (UNI) Forget the wafer-thin body and put on some weight as few extra pounds may help you live longer, suggests a study.

People who are slightly overweight are likely to survive longer than their counterparts whose weight is ''normal'', the research found after reviewing the medical records of patients at Beilinson Hospital over a period of two years.

According to the researchers, the reason may be that the extra fat in the body serves as a store of energy and helps the body cope better with stressful situations.

''What we found is that those who had higher Body Mass Index (BMI)than those who had so-called 'normal' BMI tended to survive longer,'' researcher Avraham Weiss said, suggesting revision of international weight guidelines for elderly people.

''Paunch or those few extra pounds might not be doing any harm and could be protective in some way,'' the Daily Telegraph quoted Prof Weiss as saying.

UNI