Average weight at 118-159 pounds (BMI= 18.5-24.9). Overweight at 160-191 pounds (BMI= 25-29.9). Obese at more than 192 pounds (BMI= 30+).
Doctors recommend most adults keep their BMI between 18 and 24.9. Adults with a BMI over 25 are considered obese. On the other hand, older adults do better if they have a BMI between 25 and 27. Research shows that adults over 65 who are underweight experience more health issues and shorter life expectancy.
Metropolitan tables list ideal body weight ranges for women of different heights and frame sizes. For example, a woman over 60 who is 5 feet 2 inches tall has an ideal body weight range of 108 to 143 pounds, while a 5-foot-6 woman has a desirable weight range of 120 to 159 pounds.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute indicates that a healthy weight for a woman who is 5 feet, 4 inches tall ranges from 110 to 140 pounds with a BMI of 19 to 24. A woman whose BMI score is above 25 falls in the overweight category and 30 and above falls in the obesity category.
As you get older you lose muscle.
This has a bigger impact than simply losing muscle definition and tone. Muscle actually burns more calories than fat, so having less muscle means it's harder to use the calories you're eating.
For women, the total years lived as well as those lived both active and disabled were longer than for men. At age 70, nonobese women could expect to live 15.3 years; obese women could expect to live 15.5 years. Similar to men, nonobese women lived more active years and fewer disabled years than obese women.
“Obesity incidence starts increasing in one's twenties and peaks at 40 to 59, and then decreases slightly after age 60,” says Craig Primack, MD, an obesity medicine physician at the Scottsdale Weight Loss Center in Arizona.
As we get older, we gain an average of one to two pounds per year. [1] This may not seem like a lot, but over time, it can accumulate and lead to weight gain or even obesity. Here are four major reasons why age plays a role in weight management and what to do about it: Muscle loss and decreased lipid turnover.
As you age, your muscle mass decreases and your fat mass increases. Fat is less metabolically active than muscle—you don't need as many calories to maintain fat as you do to maintain muscle. Hormonal changes can also lead to weight gain.
For a patient to be considered clinically severe, or morbidly obese, he or she must have a body mass index or BMI of 35–39.9 with one or more severe health conditions or a BMI of 40 or greater.
Body fat percentage
Ages 40-59: 11-22 percent for men, 24-34 percent for women. ages 60-79: 13-25 percent for men, 25-36 percent for women.
Get aerobic exercise: Most older adults need about 2½ hours of aerobic exercise, like brisk walking, every week. That's about 30 minutes on most days. Endurance exercises like walking, dancing, and playing tennis help your breathing, heart rate, and energy. Stay flexible: Try stretching and yoga.
Older adults' unique nutrition needs
Choose foods with little to no added sugar, saturated fats, and sodium. To get enough protein throughout the day and maintain muscle, try adding seafood, dairy, or fortified soy products along with beans, peas, and lentils to your meals.
No matter what your age, you can improve your fitness.
If it's been a long time since you've exercised and you're feeling less than fit, you might think that it's too late to make a change. But you're wrong. You can improve your fitness at any age.
Individuals are usually considered morbidly obese if their weight is more than 80 to 100 pounds above their ideal body weight. A BMI above 40 indicates that a person is morbidly obese and therefore a candidate for bariatric surgery.
In men aged 40 years, multiadjusted life expectancy for those who were obese participants was 41.4 years (95% CI 38.28 to 44.70), which was 1.7 years non-significantly shorter than that for normal weight participants (p=0.3184).
Obesity, having too much body fat, is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 30. BMI is a measure of your weight relative to your height. Morbid obesity, which is also termed “clinically severe obesity,” is typically defined as being more than 100 pounds overweight or having a BMI of 40 or higher.