Obesity at age 66 predicts health at 85, study finds

Women entering their senior years with a healthy weight and waist size have a significantly better chance of reaching age 85 without chronic disease or mobility impairment, according to a nationwide health study that followed more than 36,000 women for up to 19 years. Put another way, a 66-year-old woman with a body mass index (BMI) over 30, combined with a waist circumference of about 34 inches, has increased odds of coronary and cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, certain cancers, hip fractures and arthritis over the subsequent two decades later - if she lives that long. (BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. People with a BMI of 30 or over are considered obese.) "We've always thought that maintaining a healthy weight was important for health, function and longevity among aging women, but this study quantifies that relationship in a very powerful way," says Rebecca Seguin, assistant professor of nutritional sciences. She is co-author of new findings, "Obesity and Late-Age Survival Without Major Disease or Disability in Older Women," which was published Nov. 11 in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) Internal Medicine. Noting that the number of women 85 years and older in the United States is increasing rapidly - with 11.6 million projected by 2050 - and that previous "late-age survival" studies had often focused on men, the researchers examined data from 36,611 female participants from the Women's Health Initiative, a long-term observational study with 40 participating clinical centers across the country.