Obesity in Late Life Leads to Increased Disability Risk

By Richard Shank Wii Wellness

Research in the United Kingdom has discovered that late life obesity is a major contributor to increased disability. However, they also concluded that obesity later in life does not increase the risk of dying.

The research team worked with data on nearly 4,000 participants aged 65 and older in the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA). Each participant had their height and weight measured and their Body Mass Index (BMI) calculated over a period of five years.

The results indicate that the higher the person’s BMI, the more likely they were to become disabled during the study period. Specifically, they were more likely to develop mobility impairments and experienced greater difficulty performing everyday tasks. Weight Control-Wii

It has long been understood that young and middle-aged adults who are obese are at an increased risk of death. This was presumed to be equally true for older adults. The results here show that the relationship is not as straightforward for older adults. In fact, it only held true for the severely obese; yet, all participants classified as obese in this study carried an elevated risk of disability.

This study shows that excess weight impacts the quality of life of older adults and suggests that weight management programs be utilized in an effort to promote independent and healthy living.

Source: Iain Lang, David Llewellyn, Kirsy Alexander, David Melzer. 2008. Obesity, physical function, and mortality in older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 56(8): 1474-1478.

Like the new format? Tell us what you think: askaia@matherlifeways.com