Both of my grandmothers lived to be over 90 years old. Both of them were, frankly, plump. My mother is 82 years right now. Given that her mother lived to be 92 and her father to be 93, I am hopeful she will be around for a while. She is also plump.
Though, using the word plump is me being nice. The less nice term is fat. Which didn’t bother Mom, as I discuss in this article:
People who have visited the Blue Zones (areas of the world where people are more likely to be centenarians — those who live to be over 100 years old) talk about their diet, social interactions, etc. However, if you visit these places or look through photographs, what you may notice — the elderly women are fat.
Not morbidly obese, but they have extra padding.
They are also very active.
So were both of my grandmothers.
My father’s mother lived to be 98. She was bedridden during the final years of her life, but until she was about 96, she walked down three flights of stairs every day to walk a mile to the market where she bought vegetables, fruits, and spices. Then she walked back and climbed the stairs.
On my mother’s side, my grandmother, in her final years, was living with my uncle near Mt. Royal Park in Montreal. Most days, they climbed to the top. She did this even though she was over 90 at the time.
If you read about the lifestyles of many of the elderly women in the Blue Zones — they also stayed physically active. Not through playing sports or lifting heavy weights. They walked. They did household chores. They went to the market, visited friends, cooked, and played with their grandchildren.
At least from my own personal observances, not only of people in my family but also of friends, and via reading about and seeing photos of elderly women who were 90+ years old, it seems obvious to me that focusing on being thin may be counterproductive if your goal is to live a long and active life.
But is there science to back this up?
Turns out, there is.
According tothis article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the healthy BMI for adults over 65 years of age was in a higher range than for younger people.
This was based on an analysis of 32 different studies that included 197,940 participants with an average follow-up of over 12 years.
In other words, this study was based on reputable data.
And the data basically verified what I’d already intuitively grasped — that heavier adults lived longer.
Note, we are not talking about those who are obese, though that number is different for the elderly. However, the healthy BMI range in older adults, according to the research, is higher than what standard BMI charts show to be a healthy range.
According to the CDC, a BMI of below 18.5 is considered underweight, while the range between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal, 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight and anything over 30 is considered obese. However, according to the cited research on elderly adults, for them, a BMI less than 20 significantly increased the chance of death.
Elderly adults could have a BMI as high as 37 before they started to see an increase in mortality rates.
The sweet spot for elderly adults? A BMI of 27–28. While this range is considered overweight according to the CDC, it is actually the best in terms of health for elderly adults.
What does this translate into in terms of actual weight?
If you are a 5’4″ tall woman, then your sweet spot would be around 160 pounds if you are 65 years old or above. This is about 30 pounds heavier than what is considered the ideal weight for a younger woman of the same height.
In order for this same elderly woman to be considered heavy enough to have significant health problems, she would have to be 210 pounds or heavier.
What is the conclusion, based on science?
If you are an older woman (or man) who wants to live a long life, as long as your BMI is somewhere between 20 and 36, don’t stress. Instead, focus on:
- Staying active. Just walking for 30 minutes twice a day can make a big impact, and it’s typically not too hard on aging joints. However, if you have joint pain from walking, consider swimming, using a stationary bike, or even chair aerobics. Doing housework, playing with your grandkids, or going shopping can count towards your daily activity level.
- Do stretches to maintain flexibility, and incorporate muscle-building exercises into your weekly routine. Staying strong and limber will help you overcome many of the challenges of aging.
- Maintain friendships. You could incorporate this with activity by going for a walk with neighbors or friends, which I often do.
- Eat a healthy diet. Often older folks eat less than they used to, which is not a bad thing — but make sure that what you are eating has high nutritional value. You might want to talk to a nutritionist or dietician about the best foods for your particular needs.
In other words, focus on a healthy lifestyle more than the numbers on the scale. Which, honestly, is what all of us should be doing.
I am fighting stage IV cancer. If you can help with medical bills, I would really appreciate it. Or if you enjoy my writing and would like to buy me a cup of coffee, that’s great too. Maybe someday I can return the favor.
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This post was previously published on MEDIUM.COM.
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You may also like these posts on The Good Men Project:
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The post Stay Fat, Live Longer appeared first on The Good Men Project.
