Obesity in Elderly Subjects

A lthough the negative impact of high BMI on the risk of death from allcause mortality is now well established, there is an apparent decline in the relative added risk of obesity with increasing age (1,2). This has led some experts to conclude that obesity should not necessarily be viewed as a disease in individuals older than 55 years. If such shift in the approach to adiposity during the latter phases of life is prematurely accepted, it may not only discourage attempted weight loss in older subjects, but also promote nutritional and lifestyle indulgence, which is presently difficult enough to overcome. It is the purpose of the present commentary to briefly outline the full spectrum of obesity-related hardships in the elderly. In our opinion, obesity-induced complications amount to real disease, which gravely affects quality of life and limits effective lifespan.