Is there a reversal in the effect of obesity on mortality in old age?

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Cohen-Mansfield, Jiska and Perach, Rotem. 2011. Is there a reversal in the effect of obesity on mortality in old age? Journal of Aging Research, 2011, 765071. ISSN 2090-2204 [Article]

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Official URL: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jar/2011/765071/

Abstract or Description

Studies of obesity and its relationship with mortality risk in older persons have yielded conflicting results. We aimed to examine the age-related associations between obesity and mortality in older persons. Data were drawn from the Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Aging Study (CALAS), a national survey of a random sample of older Jewish persons in Israel conducted during 1989-1992. Analyses included 1369 self-respondent participants aged 75-94 from the Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Aging Study (CALAS). Mortality data at 20-year followup were recorded from the Israeli National Population Registry. Obesity was significantly predictive of higher mortality for persons aged 75-84, but from age 85 onwards, obesity had a protective effect on mortality albeit at a nonsignificant level. Being underweight was consistently predictive of mortality. Findings suggest that the common emphasis on avoiding obesity may not apply to those advancing towards old-old age, at least as far as mortality is concerned.

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Article

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https://doi.org/10.4061/2011/765071