I've known plenty of older women (80+) who were fat. NOT obese, but overweight.

If you go to places like the Greek islands, you'll see women in their 90s who are active - they walk up hills, often still cook or garden, have a social life. They tend to be overweight but not obese.

This is actually a survival mechanism as when older people get sick the extra padding helps them get through many illnesses.

As young and middle aged women, however, they would have been slender or average weight.

My grandmother, who lived to 93, was fat when she died but for most of her life she was slender. She started to gain weight after around 60 but she was by no means obese.