Turning 90, 95 or 100 years old is considered exceptional longevity, and a new study shows that older women who maintain a stable body weight are up to twice as likely to achieve it.
Women who maintain a stable body weight after age 60 are 1.2 to 2 times more likely to live to age 90, 95, or 100 compared to those who experienced weight loss of 5% or more, as revealed by new research led by scientists at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health at the University of California in San Diego (United States).
Researchers analyzed data from 54,437 women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative, a study investigating the causes of chronic diseases among postmenopausal women, to determine the association between weight changes later in life and the possibility of achieving longevity. exceptional. During the follow-up period, they found that 56% of the participants – 30,647 – survived to age 90 or more.
The findings have been published in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences and add to growing research linking the relationship between weight change and mortality. Specifically, this is the first large study to examine weight change later in life and its relationship to exceptional longevity.
How obesity or weight loss affect life expectancy
Women who lost at least 5% weight were less likely to be exceptionally long-lived compared to those who maintained a stable weight. For example, women who lost weight unintentionally were 51% less likely to reach age 90, while gaining 5% or more weight, compared to a stable weight, was not associated with exceptional longevity.
“If aging women lose weight when they are not trying to lose weight, this could be a warning sign of poor health and a predictor of reduced longevity.”
“It is very common for older women in the United States to experience overweight or obesity with a body mass index of 25 to 35. Our findings support stable weight as a goal for longevity in older women,” stated the first author of the study. study, Aladdin H. Shadyab, associate professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Sciences at UC San Diego.
“If aging women lose weight when they are not trying to lose weight, this could be a warning sign of poor health and a predictor of reduced longevity,” the expert highlights. The study results suggest that general weight loss recommendations aimed at older women may not help them live longer, but the authors caution that women should follow medical advice if moderate weight loss is recommended to improve their health or quality of life.
