FOUR out of five over-fifties in the Republic are overweight or obese, a study has shown.
Only one fifth of men and women in the age group are classed as having a normal waistline or an acceptable measurement of body fat to height and weight.
The alarming findings, released by the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (Tilda) led by Trinity College Dublin, highlight the increased risks and burden on health services caused by a fatter population.
Earlier this week the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health warned that more than a quarter of children in the Republic are obese or overweight.
The problem is becoming so severe that obesity among Irish men over 50 is now on a par with the US, Tilda said.
The report said Irish women are more at risk from the connection between poverty and weight problems with 39 per cent of women in the lowest wealth bracket classed as obese compared to a quarter in the highest bracket.
Tilda research fellow Dr Siobhan Leahy said the study found worryingly high levels of obesity and the impact this has on health and everyday activity.
"While this age group is already more likely to be affected by age-related illness, frailty and cardiovascular disease, these conditions are exacerbated by the presence of obesity and significant-ly higher levels of disease and disability are evident in obese individuals," she said.
Experts measured the waistlines of over-fifties and the ratio of body fat to weight and height - Body Mass Index (BMI).
The study measured waistlines to identify excess fat. Any measurement above 88cm or 35ins in women and 102cm or 40ins in men is classed as central obesity and more closely linked with cardiovascular problems.