Middle-Aged Women Face Unhealthy Future

According to recent research, bariatric surgery may help women who are obese and middle-aged live longer.

New studies have been investigating how you can increase your chances of healthy survival, meaning that you experience fewer health problems in your old age. Researchers have discovered that if you are a woman and obese in middle age, you are almost 80% more likely to have significant health issues by the age of 70. Gaining weight as early as age 18, and throughout adulthood, will cause you to have reduced odds of healthy survival, says the study author, Dr. Qi Sun. “The key message is that women really need to keep a healthy weight from early adulthood to midlife to enjoy a healthy and long life.”

Approximately every 2 pounds of extra weight over a healthy weight would increase your risk by 5 percent. And as a woman, you may have a distinct disadvantage. Women are genetically predisposed to have more fatty cells than men are, and this means that maintaining a healthy weight will be a constant challenge. With two-third of American adults being overweight or obese, it’s more important now than ever before to make an effort, not only to live a long life, but a long, healthy life.

Bariatric surgery has been proven to help both men and women lose a significant amount of weight, and keep the weight off for several years.