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Updated: May 18, 2026
06:58
Frailty Assessment in an Aging Mouse Model
Published on: September 23, 2025
The relationship between body weight, frailty, and the disablement process.
1James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, HSR&D/RR&D Center of Excellence, 8900 Grand Oak Circle, Tampa, FL 33637-1022, USA. mary.bowen3@va.gov
Summary
In older adults, being overweight or obese may reduce the risk of functional limitations and daily living disabilities, especially for those who are frail. This suggests some excess body weight in later life could be beneficial.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Frailty and body weight are critical factors influencing the disablement process in older adults.
- Understanding the interplay between weight status and frailty is essential for developing targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively examine the relationship between body weight categories (underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese) and the disablement process.
- To investigate how body weight affects the onset and progression of functional limitations and disabilities in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) among frail older adults.
Main Methods:
- Utilized longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998-2006) with a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling older adults (aged 50+).
- Employed nonlinear multilevel models to analyze the association between weight status and functional limitations/disabilities, adjusting for covariates and intra-individual changes over 8 years.
- Focused analysis on a subsample of 11,491 participants exhibiting characteristics of frailty.
Main Results:
- Compared to nonfrail normal-weight individuals, prefrail obese adults showed a 16% reduction in functional limitations.
- Frail overweight and obese adults experienced 10% and 36% reductions in functional limitations, respectively.
- Frail obese adults demonstrated a significant 27% reduction in the rate of ADL disability.
Conclusions:
- Body weight status (underweight, overweight, obese) differentially impacts the risk of functional limitations and ADL/IADL disabilities.
- In prefrail and frail older adults, maintaining some excess body weight in later life may confer a protective effect against functional decline and disability.
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