Optimal body mass index in a nursing home population

Nowadays, obesity is increasingly being studied in geriatrics too, because it causes disability, development of chronic diseases (e.g. diabetes and vascular disorders), and because of its quality of life impairment consequences (1, 2). Still great controversy exists about the harm of obesity in the elderly. Debate persists about the relation between obesity and old age and total or disease-specific mortality, the definition of obesity in the elderly, its clinical relevance and about its treatment (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).In 1989 the report of the American Committee on Diet and Health stated that a body mass index (BMI) of less than 24 and more than 29 are undesirable for individuals over 65 years of age (6). And in a systematic review, Heiat and co-workers concluded, based on mortality, that the ideal BMI is higher than in younger adults, with an optimal BMI for people over 65 years in the “overweight” range of 27-30 (7).Only few studies have examined the consequences of obesity on mortality among a nursing home residents population. A general finding is that residents who are overweight and/or obese have increased survival compared to those with lower BMI (8, 9, 10). Newer the less, it might be less interesting to survive, if the obesity causes disability, chronic diseases, and increased hospitalisation as well as reduced quality of life.The Minimum Data Set (MDS) may be useful in studying the nutritional status of nursing home residents and eventually how poor nutritionally status affects their wellbeing and quality of life. The MDS is the assessment instrument that constitutes the core of the Residents Assessment Instrument system (11).The purpose of this study was to characterise old (65+ y) nursing home residents with, respectively, BMI<24, BMI 24-29 and BMI>29 with specific focus on quality of life and obesity-related diseases.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18953468