WASHINGTON: Overweight septuagenarians are less likely to die within 10 years than people of "normal" weight in the same age group, an Australian study said Thursday. The study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society followed 4,677 men and 4,563 women aged 70 to 75 for a ten-year period from 1996. In addition to their "body mass index," or BMI, which estimates a person's body fat, the researchers also took into account the state of their health and their lifestyle. Participants whose body mass index was classified as overweight were 13 percent less likely to die than those classified as being of normal weight. The benefits, however, were seen only in those who were overweight but not obese. "These results add evidence to the claims that the WHO (World Health Organization) BMI thresholds for overweight and obese are overly restrictive for older people. It may be timely to review the BMI classification for older adults," said Leon Fli...
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