Well, I mean-- this is a good example of science in action. One study was poorly done and came up with a new and kind of crazy "obesity paradox". The media then blew it up, not the people that did the study, because it's really weird and unusual to think that being overweight is ever helpful (because it's not). Anything to eat another slice of cake!  A follow-up study by scientific peers is done (with the same exact data sets  <-- very important) and they come to a different conclusion because they used different, more definitive models. That's how science works. You look at data, develop hypotheses and allow other people to critique it and use your data to either corroborate or refute your conclusions.  Science, especially science done in universities is mostly on the side of good. Looking at the funding behind studies is important, but not all science is trash.