Excess body fat in older adults 'may shorten life expectancy'

Older people with excess body fat may be at a higher risk of mortality, according to a new study which contradicted the findings of previous research.

The research, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, measured subjects' weight on numerous incidences over a longer period of time than previous studies to come to the results.

It was found that men over the age of 75 with a body mass index (BMI) higher than 22.3 had a 3.7-year shorter life expectancy, while older women with a BMI over 27.4 had a 2.1-year shorter life span.

Dr Pramil N Singh said: "When you control for confounding by disease-related weight loss, overweight and obesity remain a risk for persons over the age of 75.

"This suggests that elderly individuals of normal weight should continue to maintain their weight."

In other news, obese individuals who have higher levels of abdominal and liver fat may have a higher risk of heart disease, according to research published in journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.

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