Adapted from BMJ 27 September 2025
Last year I had good news for the slightly chunkier older adult regarding total mortality rates, and today I can cheer some of us up with a further study, this time regarding surgical outcomes.
A post operative series of 400 older adults who were getting major elective surgery reports that the mortality rate was lowest in the people who had BMIs of 25-30.
In the post operative period, 25 people out of 133 died whose BMI was in the normal range (20-25), but only one of the 128 patients in the overweight group died in the 30 days post operation. This is despite higher BMIs being associated with cardiovascular disease and type two diabetes as well as other chronic diseases.
Perhaps advice to lose weight before operations needs to be reconsidered if you are overweight but not obese.
Diabetes Diet 
Had 3 surgeries on both shoulders. Doctor told me after I asked about stopping weight lifting to keep going as long as the pain wasn’t too bad. The reason? It would help the recovery period afterward. Also told me I’d be out of work for at least 3 months, probably 6 months and maybe as long as 1 year since I was a diabetic. Hate it when they do that. Well because you’re a diabetic you will heal slower. Because you are a diabetic, you are more likely to have this issue. Well I proved him wrong. lol I was back to work after only 2 months to the day. Physical therapist told me the same story when I asked him about working out with shoulder injury, had been in therapy off and on for 3 years before they found the torn cartilage. Since high school, I have been an avid weight lifter. Power lifting was the only sport my parent let me get into. Have found over the years it is a great way to combat insulin resistance. If I stop for more than a week, I have to up my insulin dosage to keep sugars in range. I just last week upped the intensity and may need to contact doctor for advice on lowering dosage again now. It really does work. Have read several articles on heavy resistance weight lifting being a good option to lower insulin resistance. Yes, still pudgy. BMI is in the morbidly obese range for me but I never cared about having a body builder look. I just want the strength advantage it gives. Last appointment I had with doc for second shoulder surgery was about not being able to reach my chest again during a flat bench. He told me I may never be able to do a flat bench again. That was my hold my beer moment. Before surgery I had been at about 260 lbs. (97kg) max. after about 18 months I set a new all time max of 300lbs (112kg). Have dropped from 255 lbs. (95.2kg) body weight to 238 lbs. (88.8kg) now. Again you don’t see a big difference in looks but I feel great. Much better actually than before I got back into it. The change is much a mental one as physical. You feel better knowing you are making progress toward your goal no matter what it is. Slimming down or beefing up you see the difference and it feels good.
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I train with weights too but have stuck to 20kg or less after bilateral shoulder surgeries. I agree that working your muscles is a great way to lower insulin resistance. Keep it up. When you are older (like me) your body will thank you.
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