BEING overweight might actually be healthier for the elderly, according to Geelong research.
Professor of nutrition and ageing at Deakin’s Waurn Ponds campus, Caryl Nowson, led a study into the body mass index and risk of death in people aged 65 years and older.
Older people with a body mass index (BMI) in the overweight range lived longer, the study found.
The lowest risk of death was among subjects with a BMI of around 27.5, considered overweight under World Health Organisation guidelines.
Mortality significantly increased in subjects with BMI between 22 and 23, in the normal weight range.
“It is time to reassess the healthy weight guidelines for older people,” Prof Nowson said.
“Our results showed that those over the age of 65 with a BMI of between 23 and 33 lived longer, indicating that the ideal body weight for older people is significantly higher than the recommended 18.5 to 25 normal healthy weight range.”
Prof Nowson said most older people needed to get off the “weight-loss bandwagon”.
“These findings indicate that, by current standards, being overweight is not associated with an increased risk of dying,” she said.
“Rather, it is those sitting at the lower end of the normal range that need to be monitored, as older people with BMIs less than 23 are at increased risk of dying.”
Advice on ideal body weight should take into account factors other than BMI, Prof Nowson said.
“Factors such as chronic diseases and the ability to move around need to be considered as there is no real issue with being in the overweight range unless it is preventing people from moving around freely.
“Rather than focusing on weight loss, older people should put their efforts into having a balanced diet, eating when hungry and keeping active,” she said.
“Putting too much emphasis on dietary restrictions also increases the risk malnutrition in this age group. Malnutrition in older people is not well recognised as this can occur even when BMI is in the overweight range.”
