A few extra pounds can't hurt you -- or can they?
Being overweight increases the chances of premature death. This statement is backed by a four-continent effort involving 239 studies and data from 10.6 million people. The study -- one of the largest to date -- runs counter to the results of a 2013 paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which found that being overweight actually adds to one's lifespan. Ref. Source 5t.
Some fat is important but those extra pounds can make you a bit sluggish and harder to get into skinny jeans. The hard thing about the last couple of pounds before optimum weight is trying to get them off, they just don't burn that easy unless you take drastic measures.