When it comes to body shape and longevity, it's more helpful to compare apples and pears. That's the message of a study published in the journal PLOS ONE that found that pear-shaped people, who have comparatively thinner waists than people shaped like apples, tend to live longer.
People who start adulthood with a body mass index (BMI) in the normal range and move later in life to being overweight -- but never obese -- tend to live the longest, a new study suggests.
You will find the world's longest living men on the island of Sardinia. If reports are to go by, the longevity phenomenon has been witnessed mostly among the shepherds, who typically consume a variation of the Mediterranean diet that contains mostly sourdough bread, beans, and a special kind of wine called cannonau.
Researchers also discovered that “shorter, smaller bodies have lower death rates and fewer diet-related chronic diseases, especially past middle age.” The lifespans of shorter people appear to be longer than their taller counterparts, the paper says.
Apple Shape
Abdominal obesity is probably the most dangerous of all, and apple body shape is considered at the highest risk for health issues compared to the other body types. Larger waists can mean higher risk of heart disease. It can also mean higher risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Pear-shaped people are significantly healthier than those with apple-shaped bodies. Fat deposited on the hips is less likely to travel around the body, reducing the risk of heart disease. Further, the risk of stroke and diabetes is not elevated by a pear-shaped body.
In fact, for men and women alike, ecto-mesomorphs tend to have the “fitness model” look. Often muscular with V-shaped torsos (think: wide upper back, developed chest and shoulders, narrow waist), ecto-mesomorphs are lean and agile, with strong-looking (but not bulky) arms and legs.
In doing so, we found that an individual's risk of death continued to increase at the high end of that BMI range. Specifically, we found that BMIs from 40 to 44 were associated with 6.5 years of life lost, but this increased to 8.9 for BMIs from 45 to 49, 9.8 for BMIs from 50 to 54, and 13.7 for BMIs from 55 to 59.
If enough cells decrease in size, the entire organ atrophies. This is often a normal aging change and can occur in any tissue. It is most common in skeletal muscle, the heart, the brain, and the sex organs (such as the breasts and ovaries). Bones become thinner and more likely to break with minor trauma.
Life expectancy for Black people was only 70.8 years compared to 76.4 years for White people and 77.7 years for Hispanic people. It was highest for Asian people at 83.5 years and lowest for AIAN people who had a life expectancy of 65.2 years.
Women live longer than men across the world and scientists have by and large linked the sex differences in longevity with biological foundation to survival. A new study of wild mammals has found considerable differences in life span and aging in various mammalian species.
A Mediterranean diet remains one of the gold standards for living longer and more healthfully. This pattern is characterized by a high intake of fruits and vegetables; whole grains; pulses; healthful fats from nuts, olive oil, and avocado; and herbs and spices. It includes seafood a few times a week.
After the yearlong study, findings showed that heavier men with obvious bellies were able to last for an average of 7.3 minutes in bed, while thinner men barely lasted for two minutes, being more likely to suffer from premature ejaculation.
A BMI of 21-25 kg/m2 is considered “normal” or “healthy.” What's important to know from a longevity standpoint is that in large, long-term studies, adults who fall within this “healthy” BMI range and whose weight stays stable over time also have the lowest disease and mortality risk.
The problem is usually worse for those who become very thin, especially small women. While someone is losing weight through severe calorie restriction, the metabolism may slow down to protect the body's heat-producing store of calories, leading to a cold feeling.
For all other measures of health (including general health, physical health, disability, and cancer) the health of the underweight class is significantly worse than that of the overweight.
Fat people would only be able to survive for longer if they had enough vital water-soluble B vitamins in their system to help metabolise fat stores. So it is possible that a person could die of starvation and still be fat.
Japanese life expectancy
This low mortality is mainly attributable to a low rate of obesity, low consumption of red meat, and high consumption of fish and plant foods such as soybeans and tea. In Japan, the obesity rate is low (4.8% for men and 3.7% for women).
It's linked to serious chronic health conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and weakened immune function. It also compromises your ability to cope with stress. Sleep's influence doesn't stop there. Research shows that poor sleep habits have been found to shorten a person's lifespan.
Hourglass frames
Hourglass silhouettes are coveted in beauty magazines and pop culture, but it's actually the least common body shape.
A mesomorph has a large bone structure, large muscles and a naturally athletic physique. Mesomorphs are the best body type for bodybuilding. They find it quite easy to gain and lose weight. They are naturally strong which is the perfect platform for building muscle.