Which Health Study to Believe?

Oh, how I loved Dr. Lipshitz, telling us that 10 to 15 pounds over our ideal weight would make us live longer, healthier lives. But it was a doomed relationship.  Now Harvard Medical School confirms, once again, that being overweight increases our risk of dying by 20-40%.  At least that’s the percentage of people who died in the follow up period to their study, as opposed to those who maintained a lower weight.

Furthermore, they tell us the only proven antidote to being overweight is walking 10,000 steps a day. The current issue of TIME magazine, also quoting the same Harvard study, debunks my favorite recent finding about red wine extending our life spans. The ingredient in red wine responsible for reducing the risk of death, Resveratrol, is found in such minute amounts that you would have to drink 1000 glasses a day to enjoy its benefits. There isn’t enough Martinelli to keep just me alive longer than my life expectancy.

Scientists are researching Resveratrol to see if they can feed it to us, not just mice, and extend our lives by 30%, too. It looks promising, but approval of the drug for pharmaceutical use appears to be at least 10 years away.

Despite Dr. Lipschitz’s jolly advice to stay plump and live longer, we are back to the same advice we’ve been getting from all the other health gurus: eat less, exercise like crazy and drink wine only in moderation, because all it will do for you is make you unconcerned about all of this bad news. It undoubtedly means that buying my dark chocolate from the bulk section of the supermarket is out, too.

But wait: AARP Magazine just reported that sweet-eaters live about a year longer than those who never eat sweets. They attribute it to dark chocolate improving arterial flow and elasticity. They also say that a drink or two a day lowers your risk of heart attack by 30 percent. And, OH MY GOD, they advocate staying up late to avoid heartburn, sleeping in to stay slim and gossiping for good health.

Who are we to believe? Maybe a little of everybody – but more of AARP. They know how to have a good time.