Weight Loss in Older Adults

Traditionally, physicians have been reluctant to encourage older adults – those over 75, for example – to lose weight since studies have shown that older adults who lose weight tend to have unnoticed medical problems. In other words, weight loss that occurs in this population is often due to disease, not desire. A recent study demonstrated that intentional weight loss via exercise and diet more than doubles your chance of survival over the next decade compared to your old-age peers: http://www.healthcanal.com/life-style-and-fitness/6856.html

Why is this such big news? Because weight management, esp weight loss if obese, is beneficial at all stages of life. We’ve discussed these issues from many directions since I started this blog and can honestly state that there’s no one perfect way to change your weight without 2, no, 3 things: eating fewer calories; exercising; and most of all, motivation. If you think you can do it for a few weeks or months and get to your goal weight, you’re kidding yourself. Once you establish a new set point – a weight achieved by making these lifestyle changes – your body adapts by needing fewer calories. Therefore, to continue losing you must buckle down and not only stick to what you’ve been doing but also do more of it – caloric restraint and physical activity. It’s not until you’ve achieved a very low body fat – not body weight, can you let up a bit and eat.

So, tell your parents or grandparents that it’s now ok to start living healthfully and to cut weight. That way, they’ll more likely be here to see what 2020 looks like.