People who are overweight or obese may live as long as or less than those of healthy weight, but they experience cardiovascular disease at an earlier age and live longer burdened by the disease, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention / Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health 2017 Scientific Sessions. Prior studies have suggested an “obesity paradox” in which overweight and obese people – defined as having a body-mass index greater than 25 – may live longer compared to people with normal BMI.