Obesity Increases Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in People Over 50

The importance of maintaining a healthy weight continues to be important even as we age. In fact, obesity in adults age 50 or older may be even more likely to cause type 2 diabetes. However, recent research indicates that there may be a point when this risk begins to decline.

Dr. Mary Biggs of the University of Washington, Seattle, led a study that monitored weight, BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio in adults as they aged over an average of 12.4 years. Researchers learned that:

• People who had been normal weight before age 50 and who gained 20 pounds or more after age 50 were three times as likely to develop diabetes than people whose weight remained stable.
• People with the highest BMIs and largest waist circumferences showed the highest risk for type 2 diabetes, as much as four times the risk as people of normal weight, waist circumference, and BMI.
• People whose waist grew by 4 inches or more during the study were 70% more likely to develop diabetes than people whose waist remained the same size.
• People who were aged 75 or older and obese were twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as people who were not obese.

Researchers concluded that obesity had a significant effect on risk for type 2 diabetes in elderly people, but that this risk was less significant in people aged 75 years or older.