Food - literally - for thought

Here's something to chew on.

Researchers have recently found that people may be able to live longer by doing two things - significantly restricting the calories they eat or by being slightly overweight.

If it seems like these contradict one another, I guess that's because they do.

The Portland Oregonian newspaper reported recently that "researchers there have confirmed a popular 2005 study that found that slightly overweight people tend to live longer than normal-weight people, and far longer than the obese or overly skinny.

But before you grab the Haagen-Dazs, be warned: No one knows why this happens, and it doesn't necessarily mean bigger is better."


At the same time, the New York Times reported that "a long-awaited study of aging in rhesus monkeys suggests, with some reservations, that people could in principle fend off the usual diseases of old age and considerably extend their life span by following a special diet.

Known as caloric restriction, the diet has all the normal healthy ingredients but contains 30 percent fewer calories than usual. Mice kept on such a diet from birth have long been known to live up to 40 percent longer than comparison mice fed normally."

Of course, the latter story is pretty speculative. In other words, I wouldn't start starving yourself just yet. Besides, scientists are attempting to see if the "healthy" ingredient in red wine, reservatrol, may be able to help people eat normally AND live longer.

Personally, eating a little too much and living longer sounds good to me. I've heard that people on starvation-type diets tend to be depressed.