Obesity Can Decrease Life Expectancy by Almost Two Decades, According to Study

The pounds Americans will be packing on over the holiday season may not kill them, but in some cases, they can take up to eight years off their lives, the Huffington Post reported.

That is the case for the more than 78 million people in the United States who are considered "obese."

The life expectancy of that third of the country's population is significantly decreased by their overindulgence, a McGill University study suggests.

Researchers at the prestigious Canadian school found significant excess weight may actually shorten people's average lifespan by close to two decades if one factors in the increased risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease. They further detected that it matters when in life you become obese -- the younger, the worse.

"The pattern is clear: The more an individual weighs and the younger their age, the greater the effect on their health," said epidemiologist Steven Grover, the study's lead author. "In terms of life-expectancy, we feel being overweight is as bad as cigarette smoking."

But even seemingly little steps may help obese individuals keep the harm in check, Grover told CBS News. A 10-pound reduction in weight and as little as 30 minutes of daily physical activity most days of the week can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by as much as 60 percent, the professor said.

"The potential benefits of losing weight and exercising in preventing a heart attack or stroke are also substantial," Grover added.

He said he hoped his findings would help "provide health professionals with a new diagnostic measurement to motivate some individuals to make healthy changes to their lifestyle."

For the McGill study, Grover looked at data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a research program led by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, ScienceDaily noted.

Examining results from 2003 through 2010, he developed a model that estimates the annual risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in adults with different body weights.

The results were based on data from almost 4,000 individuals, the website detailed, and the study was published in the current issue of The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology medical journal.