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Overweight over-70s 'live longer' Article date: 2010-01-29 17:25:43

People who are 'moderately overweight' in their 70s could live longer as a result, according to new research.

Scientists at the University of Western Australia found that adults over the age of 70 and classed as overweight are less likely to die over a ten-year period than those of a normal weight.

The study, the results of which were published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, assessed the lifestyle, health and other factors of over 9,200 people.

It found that the 'risk of death' was 13 per cent lower among people aged between 70 and 75 who were classed as overweight than those of a similar age classed as having a normal weight.

Lead researcher Professor Leon Flicker said the purpose of the work was to uncover which body mass index (BMI) leads to the lowest risk of mortality in the age group.

"Our study suggests that those people who survive to age 70 in reasonable health have a different set of risks and benefits associated with the amount of body fat to younger people, and these should be reflected in BMI guidelines," he said.

The BMI is a measure of body fat calculated using an individual's weight and height.

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