DEAR DR. GOTT: I am a lady in her 90th year and hope you can answer a pertinent question. Until my 70s, I was a respectable 5’ 6”. Now I am 1 ½” shorter. When checking height charts for healthy weight, which height do I use? At 150 pounds I am below the BMI of 25 if the higher height is used. I am just above the 25 mark if the lower height is used. I know that life is not fair, but should one be considered overweight at 90 when I was okay at 70? Just asking!

DEAR READER: At 90, you needn’t be worried about your weight or body mass index. Your weight and BMI are essentially normal and should not be a concern to either you or your physician. As we age, most of us shrink and gain some weight. This is usually normal. I would only be concerned if your loss of height were coupled with back pain or increased fractures (signs of osteoporosis) or if your weight drastically changed (loss could signify cancer or malnutrition, gain may mean edema or heart failure).
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