Study questions previous theories about ageing and obesity
Posted on: 20/Jul/2016 9:51:01 AM
A study conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago says that when it comes to maintaining health in one`s older years, age means little and obesity may not be so bad after all. The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academies of Science.
Say the researchers, Factors such as loneliness, depression and having broken a bone recently are more likely to predict a person`s risk of dying in the next five years. The healthiest people were obese and robust.
The study found that 22 percent of older Americans fit that definition of good health despite higher obesity and blood pressure. They had fewer organ system diseases, better mobility, sensory function and psychological health than others. They were also the least likely to die or become incapacitated five years into the study, which involved 3,000 people aged 57 to 85.
The researchers said, Instead of policies focused on reducing obesity as a much lamented health condition, greater support for reducing loneliness among isolated older adults or restoring sensory functions would be more effective in enhancing health and wellbeing in the older population. Although cancer caused 24 percent of deaths among people over 55, it seemed to develop randomly with respect to other organ system diseases. A number of recent studies have suggested that obesity may not be as bad as once thought, and may even offer protective benefits against certain diseases, a phenomenon known as the obesity paradox. We have described a different approach, known as the comprehensive model of health and ageing, that includes factors such as psychological well-being, sensory function and mobility as essential factors of overall health.
Using this new lens, about half of those considered healthy under the current medical model actually have significant vulnerabilities that affect the chances that they die or become incapacitated within five years. At the same time, some people with chronic disease are revealed as having many strengths that lead to their reclassification as quite healthy, with low risks of death and incapacity. From a health system perspective, a shift of attention is needed from disease-focused management, such as medications for hypertension or high cholesterol, to overall well-being across many areas.
