Obesity in the Over 70s

There’s a little bit of good news for those of us gaining weight as we age. Obesity in people over 70 doesn’t seem to be an important risk factor for mental decline. Cognitive function tests were used to chart mental deterioration in more than 3,800 people in a Rush University study reported in the journal Neurology.

Chicago inhabitants aged at least 65 were enrolled; 60% were women, and 60% were black. Four different tests were given at baseline and then every 3 years. At baseline, underweight (BMI below 18.5) participants had significantly worse cognitive function than the normal weight (BMI between 18.5 and 25), as were people with BMIs over 25. However, there was slower cognitive decline in overweight and obese individuals at 3 and 6 years in those with higher BMIs, after adjustments were made for differences in age, sex, race, and education. The findings were the same for black and non-black participants, although this has not been found in other studies.

The investigators write: “The findings suggest that greater BMI in old age is not predictive of cognitive decline in a cognitively unimpaired community population”. However, we must not forget that obesity is linked with high blood pressure, diabetes, and coronary heart disease in older folk.