Among adults 65 and older, having a larger waist circumference was linked to a higher risk of early death, according to a new study. But being classified as overweight by body mass index, or BMI, was associated with a lower risk of early death.
That’s confusing.
Obesity, we know, is associated with increased risks of many conditions, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. But in older adults, the relationship between body weight and health may be more complicated than a number on the scale.
How should older adults, and their doctors, make sense of the seemingly contradictory findings in this study, published on August 19 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society?
To learn what this research means for healthy aging, I spoke with CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen. Wen is an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at George Washington University. She previously served as Baltimore’s health commissioner.
