Women who either gain or lose weight after the age of 60 have less chance of living into their 90s, a new study shows.
Those with a stable weight were more likely to have exceptional longevity, defined as living over the age of 90.
The surprising results seem to go against the general recommendations for weight loss in older women if they want to live longer.
The study, led by the University of California San Diego and published in the Journal of Gerontology, looked at data from 54,437 women who enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative.
The WHI was set up to investigate causes of chronic diseases among postmenopausal women.
Throughout the follow up period, 30,647, or 56 percent of the participants, survived to the age of 90 or beyond.
It showed that women over 60 with stable weight were 1.2 to two times more likely to achieve longevity compared to those who experience a weight loss of five percent or more.
Those women who unintentionally lost weight were 51 percent less likely to survive to the age of 90.
However, gaining five percent or more weight was not associated with exceptional longevity either, meaning that stabilizing your weight is what was important..
First author Dr. Aladdin Shadyab, associate professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at UC San Diego said: “If aging women find themselves losing weight when they are not trying to lose weight, this could be a warning sign of ill health and a predictor of decreased longevity.
“It is very common for older women in the United States to experience overweight or obesity with a body mass index range of 25 to 35.
“Our findings support stable weight as a goal for longevity in older women.”
However, the authors warn that women told to lose a moderate amount of weight by their doctor to improve their health and quality of life should still do so.
The study is the first large examination of weight change later in life and its relation to exceptional longevity.
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
