People over age 70 whose BMI classifies them as overweight are less likely to die over a 10 years than those who are considered normal, a new study says. Leon Flicker of the University of Western Australia said the results could lead to changes in the BMI recommendations for older people. The results were based on studies of more than 9,200 men and women in Australia. Australia is ranked as the third most-obese country, behind the U.S. and the U.K., according to a People over age 70 whose BMI classifies them as overweight are less likely to die over a 10 years than those who are considered normal, a new study says.

Leon Flicker of the University of Western Australia said the results could lead to changes in the BMI recommendations for older people.

The results were based on studies of more than 9,200 men and women in Australia. Australia is ranked as the third most-obese country, behind the U.S. and the U.K., according to a news release on the study. It found that older people classified as overweight were 13 percent less likely to die over 10 years. However, those who fall into the obese category were not less likely to die. The statistics also showed that while being overweight had an equal benefit for men and women, being sedentary doubled the risk of death for women but only increased the risk by a quarter in men.  

“Our study suggests that those people who survive to age 70 in reasonable health have a different set of risks and benefits associated with the amount of body fat to younger people, and these should be reflected in BMI guidelines,” Flicker said.  

The study was published in the Journal of The American Geriatrics Society. APP