Is It Healthy for Older Adults to Carry a Little Extra Weight? Here’s What You Need to Know

Is carrying a little extra weight into your later years healthy? Well, the answer to this question is not a straightforward one, but experts believe that older adults shouldn’t worry about having a little extra weight, as long as that extra pound is at a consistent level and maintained thoroughly.

According to experts, lack of physical activity in seniors is somewhat more concerning than excess pounds in seniors.

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Weight Gain for the Elderly

Gaining pounds is linked to health concerns. (Photo via Pexels/Ketut Subiyanto)

Gaining pounds has always been associated with the accumulation of fat and serious health concerns not just for seniors but for people of all ages. Health conditions linked to being overweight include diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, arthritis, and various other medical conditions.

On the other hand, however, there have been several studies that suggest that having some extra pounds, especially in your later years, can offer protection in a variety of ways.

Extra fat can work as padding and protect bones against fractures and also offer a source of energy to people with illnesses like liver problems or cancer. Additionally, it can help people bear therapies and treatments better.

While these benefits are prominent, experts believe that all this depends on exactly how much extra weight an individual has. This is because older adults, who already have obesity with a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or more, and who put on some more pounds, are likely to be at a higher risk of health concerns compared to those who are not obese and weigh average.

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Muscle Building for Seniors Is Important Too

Muscle building for seniors is crucial. (Photo via Pexels/SHVETS production)

As per experts, a sedentary lifestyle in obese older adults is more concerning than gaining or losing weight. Experts believe that a lack of physical activity results in the loss of muscle mass and strength, which further increases the risk of developing a functional impairment, causing issues with independence.

Hence, for older adults who have extra pounds and want to lose that, first, they need to increase their physical activity as they already have less muscle mass.

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The BMI of Older Adults Is an Important Factor

The ideal body mass index of older adults is higher compared to that of younger adults. A previously published study found that seniors with low BMIs (under 22) and high BMIs (over 33) were at a higher risk of dying much earlier than those with BMIs in the middle range, between 22 to 32.9.

As per the study, seniors with a lower risk of death had BMIs between 27 to 27.9, which according to the WHO standards, fall in the overweight category (BMI 25 to 29.9) and above the healthy weight BMI range (18.5 to 24.9).

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Ensuring a Proper Diet for Seniors Is Crucial

Proper diet for older adults are important. (Photo via Pexels/SHVETS production)

Needless to say, seniors are at a higher risk for vitamin and other nutritional deficiencies. To ensure the body is getting an adequate amount of minerals and vitamins, a nutritious diet as well as multivitamin supplements prescribed by doctors are as important as physical activity.

In conclusion, it was found that carrying a little extra pound may be healthy for older adults while being thin or having a low BMI can be a cause of concern for several reasons. Remember that “healthy” usually denotes people who don’t have metabolic issues like blood sugar, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other serious obesity-related diseases and disabilities.