A few extra pounds could help older adults.

• Position: Your Life - Brief article

Some overweight older adults do not need to lose weight to extend their lives, but they could risk an earlier death if they pack on more pounds, relates a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology. In fact, the nationwide study found that people who were slightly overweight in their 50s but kept their weight relatively stable were the most likely to survive over the next 16 years.

They had hotter survival rates than even normal-weight individuals whose weight increased slightly but stayed within the normal range. On the other hand, those who started out as very obese in their 50s and whose weight continued to increase were the most likely to die during that period.

Overall, the results suggest that about 7.2% of deaths after the age of 51 are due to weight gain among obese people, at least among the generation in this study. "You can learn more about older people's mortality risk...