lifespan

Red meat has been a much maligned protein choice over the years. But there’s been some relaxing of the dietary diatribe in the health community, allowing for lean red meats as an occasional staple to your meals.

Then you see a study like this:

Red meat and processed meat may boost your risk of early death. That recent news may be more sensational than substance; or at least much adieu about nothing for most of the population. But, when you see a heading that reads: Study Shows Red Meat Consumption Linked to Higher Risk of Dying From Cancer, Heart Disease, it’s hard not to be alarmed.

So, do you need anymore incentive not to be obese? How about if you’re obese, you may just lop off an entire decade of your life!

According to a new analysis of 57 studies that included nearly a million people, average obesity can shorten your life between 2-4 years. Being very obese pushes it to 8-10 years!

In the study, men and women who had BMIs between 30 and 35 took 2-4 years off their lives. Having a BMI between 40 and 45 is the range that can take a decade off your life. Every 5 BMI points that you add to your total boosts mortality risk by 30 percent!

“This is scary and something that we should pay close attention to,” says Ali Mokdad, Ph.D., a professor of global health at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle.