Health reporter, BBC News
BBC News
People who are overweight or obese in middle-age run the risk of being frail in later life, say Finnish researchers.
A study of more than 1,000 men found the highest risk of death and illness in those who put on weight in their 40s but lost it when they got older.
It is thought that the heart risk associated with middle-aged spread puts men at risk of "frailty" even if they have no obvious illness.
The research is published in the European Heart Journal.
The researchers said obesity was a very well-known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. But paradoxically, studies have also shown that in older patients with heart failure, being overweight may be somewhat protective.
In the latest study, the team followed the men from age 25 through to their 70s.
As expected, those who put on weight in their 40s had a worse prognosis in middle age than those who stayed a normal weight.
However, when looking at health in later life a different picture emerged. Read more...
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