Adults aged 65 and over should not worry about carrying a few extra pounds, according to British medical experts.
A British Dietetic Association guidance report, published in November and based on a review of studies by the University of Plymouth, recommended that for people over 65 and slightly overweight, “losing weight may not improve your health.” “.
The 2021 analysis by Plymouth researchers suggests that for older people, the ideal body mass index is actually between 25 and 29.9, or overweight, compared to the usual advice of a “healthy” BMI between 18, 5 and 25.
An overweight BMI “is not associated with adverse mortality outcomes in older adults,” the Plymouth researchers noted in their review. “In fact, being overweight is associated with lower mortality in all age groups, and this association is pronounced specifically in older adults.”
Alison Smith, of the dietary association, told The New Scientist that one of the reasons older people benefit from extra weight is that the body stores energy in fat, which it can use when people get sick and don’t have much. appetite.
A new guidance report from the British Dietetic Association warns against older adults who are slightly overweight trying to shed extra pounds. woodygraphs The BDA report was based on a 2021 analysis by researchers at the University of Plymouth. MattStansfield Experts say there are benefits for older adults who are slightly overweight, such as using fat for energy if they are sick and have no appetite. adamkaz
“Periods of poor health increase as you age,” Smith said. “By encouraging older adults to lose weight, you almost make them less resilient.”
Weight loss, in addition to eliminating fatty tissue, can also cause a decrease in muscle mass, which can increase people’s susceptibility to diseases, the media noted.
Mary Hickson, professor of dietetics at the University of Plymouth and co-author of the 2021 review, said a third problem arises from the fact that when dieting, people can get tired and not do as much physical activity. This can further contribute to the potentially serious problem of muscle loss.
“It’s better to stay fit and not worry so much about being overweight than to reach this arbitrary goal of a BMI of 25,” Hickson told The New Scientist.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn