Women With Lifelong Obesity Suffering More Illnesses in Senior Years, Says Harvard Study

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Oct142009

October 14, 2009

Cartoon courtesy of the Rotary Club Of NorthRaleigh.

More and more Americans are definitely living longer, but they are also doing it with the help of a lot of prescription medications.

These medical issues have become a common occurrence in American culture. The Harvard School of Public Health in cooperation with Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that in a large study of 17,065 women living until at least age 70, that being overweight at middle-age was associated with having more health problems later in life.

The results showed that only 9.9 percent of the women who lived until age 70, reported being free of major chronic diseases; having good cognitive and physical functions; and having good mental health. These women were defined as healthy survivors.

The remaining 90.1 percent were defined as usual survivors. Among these women:

3.3 percent had chronic diseases, but no other health limitations.

59.5 percent had cognitive, physical, or mental limitations, but no diagnosed major diseases.

37.1 percent suffered from both chronic diseases, as well as cognitive, physical, and mental health limitations.

The researchers also found that “women who were overweight at age 18 and gained more than 22 pounds between age 18 and 50 had the worst odds of healthy survival.”

Graphic courtesy of doctorsweightsolutions.com.

Francine Grodstein, an associate professor in Harvard’s department of epidemiology, said in her analysis that “an important aspect of the study is the broad focus on many aspects of health, and not just on whether people get a single disease. Our finding that being overweight at mid-life affects so many aspects of health simultaneously really emphasizes the harm of being overweight.”

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