Baby boomers may get a bit unnerved, for a new study has shown that even few pounds overweight entails a whole lot of health risks including premature death, as compared to those who maintain the optimum weight.

This finding was reported after a study was conducted involving 500,000 people, which took into consideration their lifestyle and health factors - smoking and chronic illness.

The study revealed that obese people carried a higher risk of death, even greater than those who weighed as per standards, and this risk was more pronounced with Hispanics, Asians and American Indians. The key to good health is to maintain the optimum weight, because even being underweight is not a way to good health.