Assessment of nutritional status and obesity in elderly patients as seen in general medical practice.

Overweight and obesity are generally considered to have a negative impact on longevity because of their association with many diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, osteoarthritis, and certain types of cancer. Nevertheless, some authors, notably Ancel Keys, have concluded that being overweight improves one's chances for longevity. I studied 122 consecutive patients who had comprehensive geriatric assessment with regard to their body mass index, responses to Wolinsky's Nutritional Risk Index, and serum albumin levels. There was a high prevalence of overweight (60% of men and 45.6% of women). This fact, coupled with the observed low prevalence of underweight subjects, tends to support Keys' statement concerning the benefit of being overweight. However, the relative absence of significant obesity supports the impression that significantly obesity reduces prospects for longevity. Although serum albumin measurements were obtained for only 38 subjects, the fact that the value was low in only one instance--in the case of a person who was seriously ill--suggests that obtaining routine serum albumin measurements in ambulatory, community-dwelling elderly people is not cost-effective.