If you are over 70 years old, then packing on a few pounds may help you live longer, according to a new study.

The new Australian study found that seniors that are overweight had a higher survival advantage than those that were underweight, average weight, or obese.

The study, led by Leon Flicker of the University of Western Australia, claims to have found that senior citizens that do not have underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, could be better off with a few extra pounds.

The study followed people in their 70s for a ten year period and showed that those that were overweight were thirteen percent less likely to die than those considered to be of normal weight.

Flick and his team studied over 9,000 men and woman for the study and found that the theory also holds true for common causes of death, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.  The study, published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society, also states that being sedentary doubles the risk of death for women, but only increased the risk of death by twenty-five percent in men.

“The study shows that those people who survive to age 70 in reasonable health (and hence participate in these studies) have a different set of risks and benefits associated with the amount of body fat compared with younger people,” Professor Flicker stated.