In Evaluating Seniors’ BMI, Maybe We Should Move the Goalposts
Fri, February 5, 2010 at 03:00AM The generally accepted thresholds for body mass index (BMI), established by the WHO, are as follows: below 18.5 = underweight, 18.5 to 25 = normal weight, 25 to 30 = overweight, and over 30 = obese. However, Australian researchers, reporting their study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, find that these limits are too restrictive.
Over 9,000 men and women aged 70 to 75 were recruited in 1996 and followed for up to 10 years. They were classified as underweight, normal, overweight, or obese, using the established thresholds. Mortality was measured for each class of BMI.
The mortality risk was lowest for the overweight class (BMI 25 to 30) – 13% less than that for the normal-weight class, in fact. The risk for obese and normal-weight persons was roughly the same. The findings were the same for men and women; the chief causes of death (cardiovascular and cancer) showed similar BMI-related differences. A self-reported sedentary lifestyle doubled the mortality risk for women across all the BMI classes, whereas for men it only increased it by 23%.
The researchers conclude that “overweight people are not at greater mortality risk, and there is little evidence that dieting in this age group confers any benefit”. I think I’ll have another slice of pie . . .
Reader Comments (1)
Great post, yes, it seems that for older people BMI is not actual, but for middle-aged persons BMI is a value they can approve as their indicator to lend an attentive ear to... Thanks for sharing and possibility to comment! Welcome to visit Ideal Weight Blog BMI post to find out more! Thanks!