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Obesity and Life Expectancy

Obesity and Life Expectancy


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Even in early adulthood, obesity may point to a shorter life expectancy. Hi, I'm Dr. Cindy Haines, host of HealthDay TV. In a new study from Denmark, a team of researchers looked back at records on more than 360,000 young Danish men who were examined for military duty over a three-decade period. The researchers compared 1,930 men who were obese with a random sample who weren't obese. The researchers found that the obese participants had twice the mortality compared to those who weren't obese. They also estimated that obesity shortened the men's adult lives by eight years - which they point out is similar to the effect of smoking.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest the following tips for weight loss:
Aim for about a pound or two of weight loss each week. This gradual approach may improve your ability to keep it off.
* Cut back on your calorie intake by 500 to 1,000 calories per day.
* Get at least 2 1/2 hours of moderate aerobic exercise each week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity. Even more may be necessary to lose weight and keep it off, however.

I'm Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV, with the news that doctors are reading; health news that matters to you.

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