Counting on fewer calories

Can curbing your usual daily calorie intake by 10% improve health and longevity?

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There is a saying: "The less you eat, the longer you live." The rising rates of obesity have shown that Americans consume more than necessary, and cutting back on calories may be a smart move.

"People naturally gain about a pound a year, on average, beginning in middle age, so healthy weight needs to be a goal for older men," says Vasanti Malik, a research scientist in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "That is why being mindful of how many calories you really need — and perhaps cutting back some, an approach called calorie restriction — may help some men stay healthy and maybe even live longer."