Overweight Adults Over 70 May Live Longer

Health studies, as remarkably scientific as they are in nature, sometimes provide researchers with data (which they use to form their conclusions) that completely deviates from the assumption/s made prior to the experiments conducted.

An obvious conclusion when it comes to good health is the direct correlation between obesity and the longevity of life, which according to the general rule indicates that overweight people tend to face a greater risk of being afflicted with illnesses, and therefore reduces the normal life span.

However, according to research that was conducted and published in The Journal of The American Geriatrics Society, the results have indicated that this rule does not necessarily apply to adults who are overweight and over the age of 70 years.

Conducted by Australian researchers, the study revealed that adults who were overweight (according to their body mass index) between the age of 70 to 75 were least likely to live for more than ten years as compared to people in the same age-group who were of normal weight or were underweight.

The conclusions drawn from the study were based on data that was collected from 4677 men and 4563 women from as far back as the year, 1996. Taking into consideration, factors like lifestyle, demographics and health, these participants were followed for ten years or until their death, whichever was sooner.

Ironically, the risk of death was 13 % lower between its overweight and normal weight participants, and surprisingly also pointed out to the obvious fact that the risks and benefits for older adults (who had a substantial amount of body fat) were very different as compared to younger adults.