Our bodies go through many natural changes as we grow older. But carrying excess weight can complicate or even speed up some these changes, making it harder to lead a healthy, active life in our later years.

Here’s the upside: It’s not too late to forge a healthier future. Knowing the different ways obesity impacts aging can help you take proactive steps to lower your health risks.

How does obesity affect aging?

1. Obesity increases inflammation and the risk of age-related diseases

Inflammation is our body's way of fighting off injury or infection. But when it lasts too long or happens too often, it can cause harm. Chronic, low-grade inflammation is an innate part of the aging process, referred to as “inflammaging.” Inflammaging is linked with an increased risk for disease.

Systemic inflammation is also common in people with obesity. Over time, obesity-related inflammation can make age-related diseases appear earlier and progress more quickly. These include:

• Insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease and stroke, since inflammation damages blood vessels
• Certain types of cancer, since long-term inflammation can cause abnormal cell growth
• Neurodegenerative diseases like dementia and Parkinson’s disease

✅ How to reduce chronic inflammation

Getting your weight into a healthier range can ease chronic inflammation and protect your health. What you eat matters, too. Try to focus on anti-inflammatory foods such as salmon, tofu, soybeans, walnuts, grapes, and blueberries (and limit red meats and processed foods). It's also important to keep your blood sugar in check, manage stress, and stay physically active.

2. Obesity makes mobility problems more likely

Staying active is one of the most important things we can do to age with vitality and independence. Obesity makes this challenging by increasing the risk of muscle loss and joint damage.

Obesity may directly cause mobility challenges—or it may intensify mobility issues brought on by aging. This happens through:

• Muscle wasting: Both aging and obesity contribute to the loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, otherwise known as sarcopenia. Sarcopenia can affect our ability to walk, stand, get out of a chair, or use stairs. It also increases the risk for falls and bone fractures.
• Impaired balance: Due to a natural decline of the senses, some older adults may have trouble with balance and coordination. Extra weight can worsen these challenges, increasing the chance of falls and serious injuries. An older study uncovered a 25% to 31% higher risk of falls in older adults with obesity compared to those in a normal weight range.¹

• Added stress on joints: Osteoarthritis (OA) risk increases as we get older. Obesity is also a big risk factor for OA due to the added pressure on joints—especially in the knees, hips, and lower back. “Excess body weight increases the wear and tear on joints and makes discomfort worse for people who have degenerative joint disease,” bariatric surgeon Emil Graf, MD, told Banner Health.
  
  Older adults with obesity are more likely to need joint replacements. One study found that patients with obesity had a 100% increased risk of knee replacement surgery compared to patients of a normal weight.²

✅ How to protect your mobility

Research has shown that even a 10% weight loss can result in less pain, greater function, and a better quality of life while reducing inflammation and further stress on joints.³ In addition to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, you can protect your mobility by:

• Doing exercises that support strength, balance and flexibility (e.g., yoga, tai chi)
• Engaging in aerobic activity 30 minutes a day, five days a week (e.g., walking, swimming, biking)
• Performing stretching and strength training exercises three times per week

3. Obesity can shorten our life, starting at the cellular level

Many people think of aging in terms of physical appearance—like glimmers of silver in our hair. But aging also happens inside the body at the cellular level. Scientists now know obesity can speed up this cellular process.

Epigenetics is the study of how our habits and environment can change how our genes work—without altering our DNA. “Epigenetic age” is recognized as a health marker that can predict disease and mortality risk.

Research has linked weight gain with higher epigenetic aging. In fact, one study of middle-aged participants showed that obesity speeds up age-related epigenetic changes in the human liver. Scientists found that for every 10-point increase in body mass index (BMI), the liver aged an extra 2.7 years.⁴

What does this mean for people living with obesity? It means they may experience age-related decline earlier than those with a healthy weight. These physiological changes can increase the risk of diseases associated with aging, such as heart disease and metabolic disorders (e.g., diabetes).

✅ How to boost your ability to age well

While you can’t stop the hands of time, you can focus on aging in good health. This means managing your weight; eating nutrient-dense, high-antioxidant foods; and staying active. These habits can help protect your body’s cells and prevent your organs from aging faster than you do.

4. Obesity boosts the risk of dementia and memory issues

One of the most alarming effects of obesity on aging is its impact on brain health. Studies reveal that people with obesity are more likely to develop dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

A recent study at McGill University found that patterns of brain shrinkage in people with obesity are comparable to brain changes seen in people with Alzheimer’s. Researchers concluded that people with excess weight and obesity could potentially slow cognitive decline by achieving a healthy weight.⁵

Scientists aren't fully clear on how obesity affects the brain. One theory is that chronic inflammation caused by obesity causes structural damage in the brain as well as damage to brain cells. Excess weight is linked to higher blood sugar and insulin resistance, both known risk factors for dementia.

✅ How to protect your brain as you age

By focusing on a healthy weight and healthy habits, you can lower your risk of cognitive decline and protect your brain function.

Lifestyle habits that support brain health include:

• Eating a brain-healthy diet (rich in fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats)
• Keeping physically active
• Getting quality sleep
• Managing your blood sugar and blood pressure
• Limiting alcohol use
• Staying mentally engaged (e.g., hobbies, socializing)

The best time to prioritize your well-being is now

Together, obesity and aging can increase the risk of chronic disease, mobility problems, and dementia. It can even speed the biological aging process.

But small, steady changes can help you get your weight into a healthy range and put the brakes on age-related decline. “If you’re dealing with excess weight, focus on making deliberate choices that support a healthy body and brain,” said Gretchen Dueñas-Tanbonliong, Associate Director of Health and Wellness at NCOA. “There’s no better time to start than right now, today. The larger goal isn’t just weight loss—it’s feeling stronger, living longer, and aging with joy.”

Sources

1. Rebecca J. Mitchell, et al. Associations between obesity and overweight and fall risk, health status and quality of life in older people. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. February 2014. Found on the internet at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1326020023007914?via%3Dihub

2. Kirsten M. Leyland, et al. Obesity and the Relative Risk of Knee Replacement Surgery in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Prospective Cohort Study. Arthritis & Rheumatology. April 2016. Found on the internet at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26556722/

3. Katie F. Huffman, et al. The Critical Role of Physical Activity and Weight Management in Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis: A Narrative Review. Journal of Rheumatology. March 2024. Found on the internet at https://www.jrheum.org/content/51/3/224

4. Valentina Salvestrini, et al. Obesity May Accelerate the Aging Process. Frontiers in Endocrinology. May 2, 2019. Found on the internet at https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2019.00266/full

5. Filip Morys, et al. Obesity-Associated Neurodegeneration Pattern Mimics Alzheimer's Disease in an Observational Cohort Study. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 2023. Found on the internet at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36565111/