"Weigh more, live longer"

That's the message from a recent Canadian study. Overweight (not obese) people were likely to live longer than their normal-weight counterparts.

Another study found that obesity increased survival rates in heart patients.

Could excess weight be a good thing?

There's a lot of speculation but no answers yet.

Perhaps extra weight is protective once disease sets in, especially in the elderly. On the other hand, extra weight takes a toll on knee and hip joints and can increase the risk for arthritis, making life more difficult for overweight seniors.

Since many health conditions associated with overweight (like high blood pressure) are now successfully treated with medication, perhaps weight is less of a factor than it once was.

We have many more questions than answers.

We do know that BMI (body mass index), which gives a healthy weight-for-height range, is not the whole story. Abdominal fat, genetics and metabolic risk factors are just as important in accessing health.

And excess pounds may be more protective for men than women.

Dr. Dror Dekker, internal medicine chief of Sharon Hospital in Petach Tikvah helped sort out the issues at a recent nutrition conference. He sited studies pointing to the differences between men and women when it comes to weight and disease. He emphasized that overweight women are much more likely to develop diabetes, cancer and heart disease than overweight men. And when it comes to being overweight, society is much tougher on women than on men.

Should you be concerned about extra pounds? Absolutely. But as Dr. Dekker emphasized, you shouldn't try a lose-it-fast "miracle" diet. Your best bet for losing weight is to make small changes over a long period of time.

If you're a guy who's overweight, I wouldn't get too excited about these preliminary studies. It's still advisable to eat well, exercise and maintain a healthy weight.