A new study in Australia has defied common knowledge that being overweight can cause death. The study points out that people aged 70 years old and above are more likely to live than their counterparts that have normal weight.

The new research was published on January 28 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. These new findings incorporated in the study cause a conflict with earlier studies suggesting obesity can cause health issues, especially heart diseases.

According to Leon Flicker, leader of the group of researchers from the University of Western Australia, people who have passed their 7oth birthday have body fats that have different benefits and risks compared to that of younger people.

The researchers studied the information of over 9,200 Australians who were aged 70 to 75 over the course of ten years that started in 1996. They then measured body mass index which is the weight of a person relative to his height.

The data showed that overweight participants had a decreased risk of death by up to 13 percent compared to those considered to have normal weight. However, no significant difference was observed among obese people.

The study also looked at the effect on being sedentary and concluded it doubles the risk of death among women, while the risk increase by a quarter among men.

Australia is known to be the third most obese country in the next world, following the United States and the United Kingdom.