Post 50s Weight Gain Associated with Diabetes

Thu, 24 Jun 2010
Weight gain post 50 is strongly associated to the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to researchers.

Body fat is a known risk factor for Type 2 diabetes amongst young adults as well as middle-aged adults.

However, its relationship to older people's body composition is less known.

Mary Biggs from the University of Washington, Seattle studied the relationship between transformations in fat distribution, body fat and diabetes risk amongst 4,193 men and women 65 years of age and older.

Those in the highest category of body fat had around a two- to six-fold higher risk of developing diabetes than those who were in the lowest category.

These results confirm the importance of maintenance of optimal weight during middle age for combating diabetes.

Weight control is key in lowering the risk of diabetes risk amongst adults 65 years of age and older.

None of the study participants had been diagnosed with diabetes at the beginning of the research, which lasted 12 years.

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