El documento define el sobrepeso como un índice de masa corporal (ICM) entre 25 y 29,9, y la obesidad como un IMC de 30 o superior. Las directrices establecen que el peso ideal de la persona, independientemente de su edad, consistiría en tener un ICM entre 18,7 y 24,9.
No obstante, los investigadores de Yale revisaron 13 estudios sobre la relación entre el IMC y la mortalidad en ancianos, descubriendo que un sobrepeso leve o moderado (IMC de 25 a 27) no constituye un factor de riesgo de muerte a partir de los 65 años de edad. En este sentido, concluyen que unos pocos kilos de más no parecen ser un problema para las personas de edad avanzada.
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