Yes. You've read it correctly. Researchers have now proven that, as long as you live in the 21st century, being obese is really no big deal.

I think this research is important in that it suggests the converse of obesity, being underweight, is not necessarily healthy. Just because two-thirds of the country is overweight does not necessarily mean that being underweight is healthy. I should know because for much of my life I was underweight and that has caused me some health challenges as an adult. For instance, my cholesterol for much of my life was about 100, which is far too low.

If your cholesterol is too low you can't possibly be healthy, as it serves as a major substrate for nearly all of your hormones. Additionally, if you have very low body fat it will be very difficult for your body to properly detoxify and as a result you will be much more susceptible to damage from toxins you encounter in your environment.

So, as usual, the ideal approach is somewhere between the extremes. It certainly is not healthy to be walking around with chronically elevated insulin and leptin levels.

Obesity is typically just a symptom of chronically high insulin and leptin levels, which are the most likely physical causes of degenerative disease and premature death that I am aware of. Taking statin drugs and artificially lowering your high blood pressure won't change that fact, and may even worsen it.

So you don't want to be too heavy but you also clearly do not want to be underweight as your health will also suffer. If you are underweight it is never appropriate to eat grains and sugars, as your body will increase the wrong type of fat stores. One of the best ways for many people (except for carb types) to gain weight is to have large amounts of raw butter and raw eggs. They are enormously helpful for providing your body with healthy fat that you can use.

One more thing to remember: total body fat levels, and even overall fitness, are not as strongly correlated to insulin sensitivity as waste size is. Studies clearly show that measuring your waist size is one of the most powerful ways to predict your risk for diabetes. Although total body fitness doesn't seem to directly correlate, we do know that cardiovascular exercise is one of the most powerful ways to obtain a normal waist size and improve your insulin resistance.

The following tips will also help to ensure yourself of optimal health:

• Reduce, with the idea of eventually eliminating, your intake of sugar and grains.

• Modify your diet according to your body's unique metabolic type.

• Take steps to improve your emotional health and well-being by learning energy psychology tools like the Emotional Freedom Technique.

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Your Waist Size is a Powerful Tool to Predicting Diabetes