Is there an obesity paradox in the Japanese elderly population? A community‐based cohort study of 13 280 men and women

Aim Despite increased interest in an obesity paradox (i.e. a survival advantage of being obese), evidence remains sparse in Japanese populations. We aimed to verify this phenomenon among community‐dwelling older adults in Japan. Methods Older adults aged 65–84 years randomly chosen from all 74 municipalities in Shizuoka Prefecture completed questionnaires including body mass index information. Participants were followed from 1999 to 2009. Following World Health Organization guidelines, participants were classified using an appropriate body mass index for Asian populations as follows: