This Italian longitudinal study of 2910 participants aged 65 and over found that weight gain of as little as 5% and weight loss of 10% was significantly associated with disability, if the person was at normal weight at age 50.
If the person was obese at age 50, there was no correlation in an increase in disability with more than 10% weight loss. In this study disability was defined as an impairment in the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).
Practice Tip: Work diligently on maintaining a healthy body weight early. For both men and women, middle age is a time of weight gain. More emphasis should be placed on the importance of a healthy body weight as adults approach age 60.
Source: Journal of American Geriatrics Society, 2009
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