Weight Loss for Seniors
People used to think it was unsafe for seniors to try to lose weight, that it could actually be dangerous to their health.
I'm Dr. Caroline Cederquist, with Get The Skinny on Your Health.
That old conventional thinking about seniors and weight loss was based in part on statistics for all weight loss in the elderly - deliberate, guided weight loss, together with the unintentional weight loss caused by illness. Naturally, that skewed the picture.
Nowadays, studies show the clear benefits of getting rid of excess weight at any age, and among seniors, even a small weight loss can mean freedom from a medication for blood pressure, high cholesterol or something else. With so many risks from drug interaction, that improvement alone is worth the effort.
Of course, folks of advanced years have to be extra careful when losing excess weight, particularly taking care to avoid dehydration, so always consult your doctor before starting a weight-loss effort.
Overweight and Dementia Risk in Senior Women
Doctors used to think there was little point in encouraging weight loss among overweight folk of advanced years.
I'm Dr. Caroline Cederquist, with Get The Skinny on Your Health.
A recent study shows that in women over 70, there's a steady increase in the incidence of Alzheimer's disease, corresponding with increasing levels of excess body weight.
The specific reasons for the correlation aren't clear, but studies do show that increased blood sugar levels affect memory, and excess weight does lead to various blood sugar disorders, such as diabetes. Excess weight also increases the likelihood of stroke, which has been shown to cause other kinds of dementia.
Since many people worry much more about keeping their minds sharp as they age, seeing how interwoven our mental and physical health are should give yet another reason to take proper nutrition and fitness seriously, not just for weight loss, but for overall quality-of-life.
Body Mass Index (BMI) and Quality of Life in the Elderly
When Betty planned for her golden years, she got her housing ready, her income, even her health care. What she didn't get ready was her actual health.
I'm Dr. Caroline Cederquist, giving you the Skinny on Your Health.
New studies show that body weight has a big impact on quality of life for people over 65. In a study of more than 7,000 men and women, researchers found that excess body weight was associated with worse overall health for men and women.
Like Betty, females in particular suffered impaired physical ability in doing day to day tasks like climbing stairs or carrying groceries, and more interference with social activities with family and friends due to physical or emotional problems.
And the seniors' quality of life went down as their weight went up. The study subjects who were actually obese reported the poorest quality of life overall.
If you're looking forward to retirement, consider your body along with your bank accounts. A long-term investment in prudent weight management can pay big health dividends in the end.
Elderly - Abdominal Fat and Lungs
The temptation to give up physical activity can be great among older folks who are already tired, maybe even breathless, from the rigors of a lifetime lived.
I'm Dr. Caroline Cederquist, giving you The Skinny on Your Health.
But for older people, giving up or avoiding exercise can quickly result in loss of muscle mass and increased deposits of abdominal fat, including around the lungs, a condition doctors call sarcopenia obesity.
That can cause reduced lung function, which usually leads to a fatigue and breathlessness that can make exercise seem even less appealing.
That downward spiral can happen quickly among the elderly, who are already prone to muscle wasting.
But the good news is that even a little loss of excess body fat can produce a significant improvement in lung function, even in older people.
Staying active most important, because even as exercise accelerates weight and fat loss, it also strengthens the lungs themselves, offering older lungs double protective benefits from any exercise efforts.
Getting old is unavoidable, but getting tired and breathless isn't.
