'Old and thin' is out of date! China's latest research: Older people are fatter and live longer. Are you up to the standard?

There is a saying in China, "Thousands of dollars can't buy old people's thinness", which means that the elderly will be healthier and live longer if they are thinner, but they are more likely to get sick if they are fat. In the general concept, obesity can easily lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and other diseases.

But a recent study found that older Chinese may live longer and healthier lives if they are a little fatter.

1. Authoritative research: Chinese elderly, fat people live longer

On April 25, Shi Xiaoming's team from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention published a 20-year prospective cohort study in the authoritative journal "Nature Aging ". may be healthier and live longer.

The researchers collected and analyzed the health data of 27,026 elderly people aged 80 and above living in China from 1998 to 2018, including BMI (body mass index), age of death and causes.

Analyses of BMI and mortality showed that overweight and obesity were not significantly associated with cardiovascular mortality compared with normal weight, but were associated with significantly lower non-cardiovascular and all-cause mortality .

In the study, elderly people with a BMI in the range of overweight to mild obesity (24.0-31.9) lived the longest, and they had the lowest all-cause mortality and cardiovascular/non-cardiovascular mortality.

Compared with the elderly of normal weight (BMI between 18.5-23.9), the risk of death and disability of living ability increased by about 30% in the underweight (BMI less than 18.5) , while the corresponding BMI of overweight and mildly obese The risk is reduced by about 20%.

Further analysis found that as waist circumference increased, all-cause mortality and non-cardiovascular mortality tended to decrease in both men and women .

Overweight and mild obesity may be an indicator of improved nutritional status , with the benefits outweighing the harms, the researchers said . For the results of increased waist circumference and decreased non-cardiovascular mortality in older adults, the researchers speculate that obesity may provide protective energy reserves, protective adipokines, endotoxin-lipoprotein interactions, and/or lipotoxin sequestration , to gain a survival advantage.

The findings may suggest that mild obesity may not be a bad thing for older adults without underlying medical conditions . On the contrary, the "sarcopenia" caused by underweight may be even more harmful.

2. Sarcopenia - the health killer of the elderly

"The last fall of life", have you heard of it? This refers to hip fractures in older adults .

Hip fractures are common in the elderly, which can lead to long-term bedridden and many related complications, including pneumonia, urinary tract infection, local skin ulceration, and deep vein thrombosis in the lower extremities . The annual mortality rate is as high as 20% to 30% .

The leading causes of hip fractures—osteoporosis and loss of muscle mass—are associated with sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia is an age-related reduction in muscle mass, including loss of strength and physical function, that seriously threatens health, such as:

Reduced mobility , making it difficult for the elderly to complete daily activities such as sitting, walking, lifting, and climbing;

With malnutrition and decreased immunity , the risk of flu, pneumonia, cancer, etc. is increased;

Lead to poor prognosis of chronic diseases such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, and cancer , increasing complications and burden on the body;

Reduce the resistance and coping ability to various stressful events , and then fall, fracture, infection and death easily.

Sarcopenia will increase the risk of death and family burden . If the elderly have symptoms such as slow walking, physical activity disorders, severe fatigue, weight loss, decreased grip strength, and anorexia , they may have sarcopenia and should seek medical attention in time.

3. Eat the right nutrition, the body will be good

Prevention of sarcopenia requires long-term persistence, and it is never too late to start. It is recommended to do physical management from the following three aspects and persist until old age.

1. Diet

Increasing nutrients can help prevent sarcopenia, and 3 nutrients are particularly important.

①Protein

Ensure adequate protein intake, stimulate muscle protein synthesis, help increase and maintain muscle mass, and prevent sarcopenia.

Eggs, dairy, lean meat, poultry, fish and shrimp and soy products are all sources of high-quality protein. It is recommended to consume 1~1.5g of protein per day (kg body weight). For example, for an elderly person weighing 60 kg , daily To consume 60 to 90 grams of protein. If not satisfied, you can take additional nutritional supplements.

②Vitamin D

A lack of vitamin D can directly affect the skeletal and muscular system, increasing the risk of falls, sarcopenia, and fractures.

Due to the low vitamin D content in the daily diet, the absorption capacity of the elderly is weakened. It is recommended that in addition to eating more foods rich in vitamin D, you can also consult a doctor to choose appropriate oral vitamin D supplements and take them as prescribed.

③Dietary fiber

Research in the British Medical Journal found that eating more dietary fiber can reduce insulin resistance and the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines, thereby reducing the loss of muscle protein and helping to prevent and cope with sarcopenia.

Whole grains, legumes, fresh vegetables, and fruits are all major sources of dietary fiber. Among them, whole grains are the most abundant in dietary fiber, and the common ones are whole grains, corn, brown rice and other coarse grains . Red beans, broad beans, peas and other miscellaneous beans, celery, spinach, leeks, apples, bananas and other fruits and vegetables are also rich in dietary fiber.

2. In sports

Exercise can maintain skeletal muscle mass and function and prevent sarcopenia. It is recommended that the elderly do regular aerobic exercise and resistance exercise, 3 times a week, 20-30 minutes each time . Aerobic exercise includes brisk walking, jogging and swimming, and resistance exercise includes dumbbells and equipment.

3. Disease

Elderly people often suffer from various diseases, such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, thyroid disease, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, etc. These diseases will increase the incidence of sarcopenia. It is recommended to pay attention to chronic disease management, regular physical examination, and active control of the disease. .

For older people, being slightly overweight may be healthier than being underweight, but being underweight is more likely to suffer from hip fractures and sarcopenia, reducing quality of life. It is recommended that the elderly have a balanced diet, exercise more, maintain vitality, manage chronic diseases, and have regular physical examinations to live a healthier and more comfortable life!

References:

[1] Lv，Y.，Mao，C.，Gao，X.et al. The obesity paradox is mostly driven by decreased noncardiovascular disease mortality in the oldest old in China：a 20-year prospective cohort study. Nat Aging(2022).

[2] Experts take you to avoid the "last fall of life"! .CCTV Road to Health, 2021-04-07

[3] The elderly are too thin, beware of "sarcopenia"! How to eat to prevent? .Medical Neurology Channel, 2019-08-02

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