According to the most recent forecasts, at least one-third of the world's adult population is overweight, and about one-tenth is obese.
Furthermore, nearly 40 million children under the age of five are overweight. Obesity or being overweight can have a negative impact on one’s health. Having too much fat on your body might have major health repercussions. Using past and present analyses of numerous scientific studies, this review uses the BMI number to determine whether people who are overweight in middle age have more health issues as they get older. “Normal” BMIs were defined as those between 18 and 25. Overweight was defined as a BMI of 25 to 30, and obesity was defined as a BMI of 30 or higher.
A prospective cohort of adults from the Chicago Heart Association Detection Project about 6766 middle-aged men and women, aged 36 to 64 years, without diabetes mellitus or myocardial infarction at baseline was studied from November 7, 1967 to January 8, 1973. In 1996, when the participants were 65 years old or older, they completed a 26-year follow-up questionnaire.
The researchers looked at the relationship between baseline BMI and mean 26-year follow-up Health Status Questionnaire 12 scores. The participant’s BMI was found to have substantial inverse-graded correlations with all of the Health Status Questionnaire 12 scores. The participants with a BMI of 18.5 to less than 25 had the best results, and as the BMI rises, the scores drop dramatically, with obese people having the lowest outcomes.
Researchers used the above analysis along with healthcare and economic costs in a recent cohort study to further evaluate the impact of people’s mid-age overweight on their health when they were older. They found that the cumulative median healthcare costs among overweight participants were $12,390 higher than those with normal BMIs. Obese people’s costs were also expected to be $23,396 higher, according to the researchers.
After reviewing and analyzing the studies stated above, researchers came to the conclusion that overweight and obesity in middle age:
- Reduces nearly every element of one’s health, from reproductive and respiratory function to memory and mood as one gets older.
- At a later age, it also raises the chance of various debilitating and dangerous diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and several malignancies.
- Healthy nutrition, frequent exercise, and avoiding cigarettes and alcohol throughout middle age can enhance people’s health and prepare them for an easier transition into old age.
Parvathy Sukumaran 
