Headline today ‘Losing weight may hasten death’

These health stories come and go. One week X is good for you, another week X is bad for you. Try not to get too hung up on them. The stories are often based on one specific study and will probably be contradicted by another study in due course.

I've just listened to the Interview by some Doctor with Ferrari- and she is talking absolute nonsense.

I am comfortably within the approved BMI for a person of my height. Unfortunately when they measured how much fat I had on my body I was classfied as obese, just, and told that I actually needed to weigh a stone less than I do.

This did not surprise me, I was told some years ago, before BMI that although within the right weight group for my height and build, I had too much fat on my body and needed to lose, then, about 10 lbs.

All these classifications and rules, none can cater for everyone, so whether bird boned, as I seem to be or a muscly rugby player, for some of us the rules can lead us to beleive that we are healthier or less healthy than we actually are.

Thank you @MiniMoon that one does say I’m in a healthy range. I think I’ll skip trying to be a size 12 and be a comfy size 14, that means about half a stone off instead of a stone.

passthechocolates, have a look at the smart BMI calculator. There is a special category for seniors. It explains how it's calculations differ from the regular BMI scale.
If its any help, my wise Granny used to say that when a woman reaches a certain age, she needs a bit of weight about her.
Here is a link to the smart BMI site.

FannyCornforth

Well, my longevity is now guaranteed

I feel much less guilty about the piece of cake I had at lunch-time now.

My excuse is that I made a cake at the weekend but only the children ate some; it needs finishing up.

mokryna

Have you seen there is on this page, at the top, an advert
‘from XL to M 2 weeks challenge’.
‘

I never think these lose weight quickly diets work, you just put it back on and it does you no good.

As well as my cutback on sugar, I do take nice long walks and enjoy the countryside … I have been known to hug a tree I love trees, they fascinate me, but that’s another topic.

Have you seen there is on this page, at the top, an advert
‘from XL to M 2 weeks challenge’.
‘

Witzend

Oh dear, I recently lost over 5 kg during a 3 week stay in hospital - better get measured up for my coffin!

I lost almost as much during a 3-month stay - ended up with Takotsubo syndrome (stress cardiomyopathy) and a blood clot on the lining of the heart muscle.

A year later the heart had returned to normal, the blood clot dissipated, and I now have a healthy blood pressure without medication.

So put the tape measure away!

Iam64

All of it Fleurpepper. As others have said, unintentional weight loss is an indicator something is wrong. That’s the key message, it doesn’t mean lowering calories in and increasing calories out will lead to early death. These nonsense headlines

Sorry, but this is nonsense too. Fast and very rextrictive weight loss is dangerous in 100s of ways, as explained, and this more so post menopausal. Osteoporosis in particular, but all major organs can be put under real stress.

Well you don’t see many fat 90 year olds.

eazybee

The Telegraph has the same story but it puts it in context, referring to 'drastic 'weight loss, that is 10% of body weight, in the elderly (75 plus) and I think it means when weight disappears rapidly for no apparent reason, not through intentional controlled dieting.

The Telegraph has the same story but it puts it in context...

Quite.

As opposed to the typical tabloid-type headline which initially gives a slightly different impression.

And, it's always been dangerous to lose weight too quickly, for any age.

All of it Fleurpepper. As others have said, unintentional weight loss is an indicator something is wrong. That’s the key message, it doesn’t mean lowering calories in and increasing calories out will lead to early death. These nonsense headlines

Passthechocolates

Thank you everyone, I think it’s the headline ‘warning to slimmers’ that caught my eye.
I agree the article did not mention that again.
They’ll no doubt do more research and change their minds again next week!
I’m not crash dieting, I’m just cutting out sweet stuff (cakes, puds, etc) apart from that I’m eating a normal diet, hopefully losing about a pound a week.

Well done, and the way to do it. Bravo.

Crash very restrictive dieting is terrible for bone depletion and for essential major organs- and this much more so when over 60, as we just don't have the reserves or 'bounce' back, and so many of us suffer from low bone density post menopausal.

I sometimes think the media struggles to find anything meaningful to write about. Losing weight unintentionally should be a red flag but a gradual loss of excess weight from eating a healthy diet is fine but we should all continue to do some exercise to maintain our muscles and bone density as well as we can. Sounds a bit bonkers but every time I visit the loo I do 10 sit/stands and I stand on one leg when I clean my teeth switching leg half way through. It's an ingrained habit now and is good for lower body strength, helps support my knees and good for balance.

Thank you everyone, I think it’s the headline ‘warning to slimmers’ that caught my eye.
I agree the article did not mention that again.
They’ll no doubt do more research and change their minds again next week!
I’m not crash dieting, I’m just cutting out sweet stuff (cakes, puds, etc) apart from that I’m eating a normal diet, hopefully losing about a pound a week.

Which bit Iam64?

Ignore this nonsense.

Oh dear, I recently lost over 5 kg during a 3 week stay in hospital - better get measured up for my coffin!

Liver, kidneys, gallbladder, skeleton/spine. Losing weight can be very beneficial, but depends how and when.

But controlled dieting, especially a for older people, is ALSO dangerous. Loss of bone density, and loss of muscles which are supporting our knees, hips, back, etc- is dangerous. And all sorts of other health issues too, including mental issues. Anorexia does exist in older people, and yoyo dieting can have a very strong effect on mental health at any age.

www.obesityaction.org/resources/the-risks-of-the-crash-diet/

The Telegraph has the same story but it puts it in context, referring to 'drastic 'weight loss, that is 10% of body weight, in the elderly (75 plus) and I think it means when weight disappears rapidly for no apparent reason, not through intentional controlled dieting.

Losing too much weight too quickly and some drastic, possibly drug added diet, is very dangerous and puts massive strain on heart. YoYo dieting, where people lose a lot of weight with the above, then put it all back on, and start again, IS very dangerous for your health. Any drastic diet which seriously limits some kinds of foods can be dangerous too.

Further in the article: "The researchers believe it's not the weight loss itself, but the cause of the weight loss that puts them at a higher risk of death. For example, the common cold, diabetes, dementia and heart, lung, kidney or liver disease can all cause people to lose their appetite, as do heavy prescription drugs."

Good news - slim will see me out.

They are not talking about deliberate weight loss. They are talking about people who lose weight without even trying.

^The researchers believe it's not the weight loss itself, but the cause of the weight loss that puts them at a higher risk of death.
For example, the common cold, diabetes, dementia and heart, lung, kidney or liver disease can all cause people to lose their appetite, as do heavy prescription drugs.^

This is a quote from the article. So diat away, it will have no effect on your longevity.