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Obesity in Elders Increases Risk of Disability, Not Risk of Death PLYMOUTH, United Kingdom -- August 21, 2008 -- Obesity in later life does not make a substantial difference to risks of death among older people, but it is a major contributor to increased disability in later life, according to a study in the August issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Researchers at the Peninsula Medical School, Plymouth, United Kingdom, worked with data on just under 4,000 participants in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) aged 65 years and older who were living in the community. Each participant had their weight and height measured, and their body mass index (BMI) calculated. All patients were followed up for 5 years. The researchers compared elders with a BMI of 20 to 24.9 with those who had a BMI of 25 to 29.9; 30 to 34.9; or 35 and over. The results showed that the higher an older person's BMI, the more likely they were to develop mobility problems (measured using a standard performance test) or to develop difficulty carrying out everyday tasks. The results also showed that, in older people, the link between a higher BMI and the risk of death is weak. Only severely obese older men seemed to run an increased risk of death. "We have known for some time that young and middle-aged adults who are overweight run a higher risk of death, and it was presumed that this held true for older people," said lead author Iain Lang, MD, Peninsula Medical School. "In fact, our results show that the risk of dying is higher only for the most severely obese but that all older people who are overweight are at significantly increased risk of developing problems with mobility and carrying out everyday tasks." "This research is important because a growing proportion of the population is aged 65 or over, and more and more of these older people are overweight. In fact, in most developed countries, middle-aged and elderly adults are more likely to be obese than people in any other age group," he added. "These findings have huge significance for the delivery of healthcare, both now and in the future. Increasing numbers of older people and higher levels of overweight and obesity will lead to a greater burden of disability and ill health and place an immense strain on health and social services. The issue is likely to get worse as time goes on and represents a ticking time bomb for health services around the world." SOURCE: The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version