Obesity Trajectories and Mortality among Older Adults: The Case of Costa Rica

Beatriz Novak, El Colegio de México

Even though obesity is a major risk factor for several potentially life-threatening conditions the relationship between obesity and mortality among the elderly remains controversial. Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate mortality risks associated with obesity trajectories over the life-course among elderly in Costa Rica. Data for this study was drawn from the Costa Rican Study on Longevity and Healthy Aging 2005, 2007, and 2009 waves. Parametric Gompertz regressions were used for modeling mortality risks of individuals aged 60-90 in 2005. Results show that being obese at age 25 and being consistently obese in each wave the individual was observed were independent mortality predictors. The coefficient associated with these variables are statistically significant and imply a risk of dying in the observation period that is around two times higher than that for those who were not obese at age 25 or not consistently obese at older ages.