Obese seniors more likely to suffer from disabilities

According to a new study at University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, due of rising obesity rates in Latin America and the Caribbean, elderly people there are becoming more likely to suffer from disabilities.

Researchers suggests current trends will produce large numbers of people who are especially vulnerable to chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and arthritis - conditions that could increase the degree of disability among the elderly, and which will severely strain the health care resources of poorer countries.

The study conclusions are published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.