Strengths and Limitations
death, weight loss
This study has some strengths. The combination of the large cohort, the focus on the population older than 70 years, and the extensive amount of hospitalization data, coupled with the regular and objective measures of body size and expert adjudication of cause of death, makes this the most comprehensive and detailed study of weight loss in this age group yet published, to our knowledge. It is coherent with but extends the findings of a meta-analysis whose component studies typically involved a broader range of ages, recall of prior weight, and/or reliance on death certificate data for cause of death.This study also has some limitations. The principal limitation is the inability to differentiate intended vs unintended weight loss, although bariatric surgery, the only likely intervention proven capable of intended long-term sustained weight loss,