Controversial Advocate of Weight Gain Theory

Reubin Andres, An Advocate of Weight Gain, Dies at 89  by Leslie Kaufman.  The New York Times.  October 1, 2012.

Dr. Andres was an advocate of the belief that weight gain in older people increases longevity.  While serving as clinical director of the National Institute on Aging.  Using date from the Society of Actuaries and Association of Life Insurance Directors of American, he compared weight data with those who lived longest.  He found that the group with the smallest percentages of deaths was 10 to 20 percent over the recommended weights and increased with age.  He believed that the desirable range of weights rises with ages.  His fews were challenged by some health officials.  The National Institutes of Health does not recommend age-specific weight gain.  In addition to his work on weight, Dr. Andres developed a method to quantify insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion.  Dr. Andres died on September 23 at his home in Baltimore.