Why pandemic pounds are not as bad as you think

Words: Natasha Robinson Producer: Bianca Farmakis

Many of us have gained weight during the pandemic. Lockdowns resulted in a drop in physical activity, and with sourdough baking sprees and constant access to the fridge, we ate more, with comfort food high on the list.

Contrary to the dominant health messaging a BMI under 25 is optimal for health, there's growing evidence being in the overweight category actually stands you in better stead for recovering more easily from a variety of health crises. Are the kilos unhealthy? Are the kilos unhealthy?

Data linking a lower BMI with a lower risk of major diseases is at least 50 years old. The magic number (25) was actually revised downwards from 27.8 for men and 27.3 for women by the US National Institute of Health years ago. The advice hasn't kept up The advice hasn't kept up

"If you were to get cancer and your BMI is between 25 and 30, your outcomes would be better than if you had a lower BMI. Similarly, if you survive a heart attack it's much better to be a little heavier than lighter."

Fiona Willer Dietitian

The first researcher to explode the myth was a US Center for Disease Control senior scientist, Katherine Flegal. Dr Flegal found the BMI associated with the lowest risk of disease had crept up steadily since the 1970s. The BMI myth The BMI myth 1970s: The 'best' BMI was 23.5 (people aged under 60) and 24.4 (over 60) 2003 — 2013: The BMI linked to the lowest mortality was 26.7 (under 60) and 27.3 (over 60)

Flegal's research found even when adjusting for smoking, age, and sex, people with a BMI between 25 and 30 had a six per cent lower risk of dying. The research also suggested these individuals recovered better from pneumonia, burns, stroke, cancer, hypertension and heart disease. The important factors The important factors

Willer says: "If you are slightly overweight, the body has a reserve to draw on to help it recover." Put simply, having extra energy and nutrients available in the body is important for healing and recovery from illness. Why the surprising findings? Why the surprising findings?

The other critical BMI message is it's much more important to be fit than to be skinny. Muscle weighs more than fat, so some extremely fit individuals actually fall into the overweight category according to BMI, which is a fallacy. Fit, not 'skinny' Fit, not 'skinny'

So if you're feeling bad about your pandemic pounds, it might be worth relaxing. They may just help you live longer.

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