Deadweight? — The Influence of Obesity on Longevity

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Abstract
Obesity has clearly become a major personal and public health problem for Americans; it affects many aspects of our society. In this issue of the Journal, Olshansky et al.1 make an important contribution to national discussions of the future of longevity by calling attention to the very substantial increase in the prevalence and severity of obesity since 1980 and its consequences on health and mortality. They estimate that the current life expectancy at birth in the United States would be one third to three quarters of a year higher if all overweight adults were to attain their ideal weight.Although . . .