'Overweight' Adults Age 70 or Older Are Less Likely to Die Over a 10-Year Period

[The Straight Story]

'Overweight' Adults Age 70 or Older Are Less Likely to Die Over a 10-Year Period

ScienceDaily (Jan. 29, 2010) — Adults aged over 70 years who are classified as overweight are less likely to die over a ten year period than adults who are in the 'normal' weight range, according to a new study published in the Journal of The American Geriatrics Society.

Researchers looked at data taken over a decade among more than 9,200 Australian men and women aged between 70 and 75 at the beginning of the study, who were assessed for their health and lifestyle as part of a study into healthy aging. The paper sheds light on the situation in Australia, which is ranked the third most obese country, behind the United States and the United Kingdom.

Obesity and overweight are most commonly defined according to body mass index (BMI), which is calculated by dividing bodyweight (in kg) by the square of height (in metres). The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines four principal categories: underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese. The thresholds for these categories were primarily based on evidence from studies of morbidity and mortality risk in younger and middle-aged adults, but it remains unclear whether the overweight and obese cut-points are overly restrictive measures for predicting mortality in older people.

The study began in 1996 and recruited 4,677 men and 4,563 women. The participants were followed for ten years or until their death, whichever was sooner, and factors such as lifestyle, demographics, and health were measured. The research uncovered that mortality risk was lowest for participants with a BMI classified as overweight, with the risk of death reduced by 13% compared with normal weight participants. The benefits were only seen in the overweight category not in those people who are obese.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100128091740.htm

[TexasObserver]

1. Recommend

[Inspired]

2. I find this encouraging. nt

[doc03]

3. So in 8 more years I can get fat, sounds great I love to eat n/t

[WeCanWorkItOut]

4. Of course the Australians have one advantage

They get lots of sunshine, hence less cancer of the colon,
possibly breast too. (I believe there's a vit D connection.)
So this might partially counteract the way that
overweight may be associated with insulin resistance,
which in turn, I believe, is associated with more
breast and colon cancer. Just a thought.

[timeforpeace]

5. Straight from the study's authors, prior to peer review, to your eyeballs! junksciencedaily.com

[FarCenter]

6. "Overweight" range

Range of weights in pounds for BMI 25 to 30 by height in inches

Height	BMI=25	BMI=30
60	128.0	153.6
61	132.3	158.8
62	136.7	164.0
63	141.1	169.4
64	145.7	174.8
65	150.2	180.3
66	154.9	185.9
67	159.6	191.6
68	164.4	197.3
69	169.3	203.2
70	174.3	209.1
71	179.3	215.1
72	184.4	221.2
73	189.5	227.4
74	194.7	233.7
75	200.0	240.0
76	205.4	246.5
77	210.8	253.0
78	216.4	259.6