Numerous women aspire to shed a few pounds, but a study suggests that maintaining a consistent weight in later years could significantly enhance the likelihood of surpassing 100 years of

age.

An investigation involving over 50,000 women aged 60 and above compared those who sustained relatively constant weight over three years with those who lost at least 5% of their body weight.

The study revealed that women who experienced weight loss were 38% less likely to reach their centenary milestone. Moreover, their chances of making it to 90 years of age decreased by 33%, and their probability of surviving to 95 years dropped by 35%.

This was especially pronounced among those unintentionally shedding pounds, as their weight reduction could indicate underlying health issues, stress, or frailty.

The research showed that women who gained more than 5% of their body weight didn't exhibit a significantly higher or lower likelihood of living beyond 90 years. This could be due to the fact that weight gain during middle age or earlier years tends to decrease life expectancy.

Dr. Aladdin Shadyab, the study's author from the University of California San Diego, stated, "Our findings advocate for stable weight as a longevity objective for older women. Unexpected weight loss in aging women might serve as a warning sign for health problems and a predictor of reduced longevity."

The study encompassed 54,437 women aged 61 to 81 who participated in a comprehensive US health study. Slightly more than half of them reached the age of 90, and around 9% of the participants who persisted long enough to reach 100 achieved this remarkable age.

The research uncovered that women who maintained their weight within 5% fluctuations over three years were up to twice as likely to surpass 90 years of age and beyond.

Losing over 5% of body weight unintentionally had the most significant impact on life expectancy for women over 60. Among those unintentionally shedding pounds, about a third attributed it to illness, while nearly 29% reported a reduced appetite, and 23% cited stress as the cause.

These involuntary weight reducers were 51% less likely to reach 90 years, whereas those who lost weight intentionally, often through diet or exercise changes, had only a 17% decreased likelihood.

However, it's worth noting that while unexpected weight loss in older women should prompt a medical evaluation, it's a relatively common occurrence and not necessarily a cause for alarm.

The findings, published in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, align with evidence suggesting that older men who experience weight loss are also more susceptible to premature mortality. Photo by Peter van der Sluijs, Wikimedia commons.