Maintaining Stable Weight After 60 May Double Longevity, According to Research

The “Journal of Gerontology” published a recent study on August 30th, revealing that maintaining a stable weight in one’s senior years, even beyond 60, can increase the likelihood of living longer by over two-fold. Professor Aladdin Shadydash from the University of California, San Diego, led this research examining the correlation between weight fluctuations and longevity.

This study focused on participants in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), investigating the causes of chronic diseases in postmenopausal women. It involved 54,437 women aged 61 and 81 who had been part of WHI since 1992. Their weight was measured at the study’s outset and then again at the 3-year and 10-year marks.

The participants were divided into three groups based on weight changes: those who lost more than 5% of their body weight, those with less than 5% weight changes, and those who gained more than 5% of their body weight. The researchers analyzed the connection between these groups and the survival rates of participants up to the ages of 90, 95, and 100.

The study’s results showed that 56% of the participants, totaling 36,477 individuals, lived beyond 90 during the tracking period. The group with weight changes within 5% had a 1.2 to 2 times higher chance of longevity than the group that experienced weight loss of over 5%.

For participants with weight loss exceeding 5% at the 3-year mark, the probability of reaching 90 was 51% lower than those who maintained stable weight. Additionally, even within the group that experienced more than 5% weight loss, women who unintentionally lost weight had a lower likelihood of longevity than those who intentionally managed their weight.

However, there was no significant difference in longevity probabilities between the group that gained more than 5% of their body weight and the group that maintained their weight.

Professor Shadydash emphasized, “The fact that elderly women experienced weight loss without intending to suggests poor health,” adding, “If longevity is the goal, then maintaining a stable weight should be the objective.”

By. Seolhee Lee, (seolhee2@wikitree.co.kr)