By Helen Antipov
While providing Senior Care and Elder Care in the Chapel Hill and Durham area, we are often faced with senior nutrition issues. When it comes to weight and maintaining one’s health, we’ve heard it countless times—eat less and exercise more. But most of the specific information we hear is aimed at younger adults. While the basics of managing weight still apply to senior adults, they tend to gain weight for different reasons and in different ways. And, because many chronic illnesses develop in old age, it can be especially important to avoid being overweight—and especially obese—as we approach the senior years.
While providing Senior Care and Elder Care in the Chapel Hill and Durham area, we are often faced with senior nutrition issues. When it comes to weight and maintaining one’s health, we’ve heard it countless times—eat less and exercise more. But most of the specific information we hear is aimed at younger adults. While the basics of managing weight still apply to senior adults, they tend to gain weight for different reasons and in different ways. And, because many chronic illnesses develop in old age, it can be especially important to avoid being overweight—and especially obese—as we approach the senior years.
Treating and
preventing obesity in children routinely gains press attention. But some of the
studies also show a significant number of senior adults are overweight,
including many who are obese. According to a study conducted by the Journal of
American Medicine in 2010, about 70 percent of adults over the age of 60 are
overweight or obese. This condition puts them at high risk for developing
diabetes and many other diseases. At Comfort Keepers of Durham and Chapel Hill, we can help you with a meal plan and even help keep healthy foods
available to help battle this growing concern of senior nutrition.
What
causes senior adults to get overweight or obese?
- As
muscle mass decreases over time, fat mass increases. Studies show that
high percentage of fat mass in older adults increases the risks of
disability, mobility limitations and decreased physical function.
- Many
seniors simply continue to eat the same amount of food as they did when
they were younger even though they’re less active. That makes it easy for
older adults to gain weight without changing anything else.
- Hormonal
changes that occur as we age contribute to weight management. For example,
we develop a resistance to leptin, a protein hormone that regulates energy
intake and expenditure. It’s also believed that aging plays a role in
reduced responsiveness to thyroid hormone. These hormonal changes in
senior adults can contribute to an increase in fat mass.
- A
change in metabolism in older adults contributes to quicker weight gain
and slower weight loss. As we age, our digestive systems work less
efficiently, which means less energy from food is burned off as calories
while more is stored as fat.
- According
to a journal article by Ann Mabe Newman, DSN, APRN, CNE published by the
American Nursing Association, there are genetic factors that play a role
in senior adult obesity. It’s believed certain genotypes produce a
different sensitivity to changes in body fat after over-eating.
- According
to the same journal article, our environment contributes to the chances of
putting on weight as we age. Some seniors have less access to exercise and
fitness centers, especially those who can offer specialized weight and
physical activity programs. Seniors need safe places to walk and bike, and
they aren’t always readily available.
- One
of the biggest lifestyle factors that lead to obesity in seniors is our
society’s growing habit of eating out. Studies show that when we eat out,
we consume both more food and more food higher in fat that when we cook
our meals at home.
Why is it
more dangerous for seniors to be overweight or obese?
According to
the American Journal for Clinical Nutrition, while weight-related chronic
diseases lead to high rates of mortality in people of all ages, the risk of
dying from weight-related disease increases as people age. Additionally, it’s
proven that older adults who struggle with obesity also have higher rates of
depression, especially those aged 60-74.
The lungs of
obese patients decrease in size, making it easier to develop respiratory
problems. Because, as we grow older, we naturally lose about 20 percent of our
skin’s dermal thickness, older adults who are overweight and obese can develop
pressure sores much more easily.
Being
overweight or obese as a senior adult can cause and/or exacerbate serious
conditions such as type-two diabetes, cardiovascular disease and
osteoporosis.
For all these
reasons, some studies show over-weight and obese senior adults are more likely
to need nursing home care.
What
should seniors do to avoid obesity?
The facts
about seniors with obesity are scary. But, unlike many signs of getting older
like wrinkles and greying hair, avoiding obesity is controllable. Even though
genetics play a role in our weight and our ability to lose it, there are a
variety of things older adults can do to maintain a healthy weight.
- If
you or your loved one is struggling with weight as they get older, you
should focus on not only modifications to eating and exercise, but also
developing community support with others committed to maintaining a
healthy weight.
- Routine
physical activity, even in the very old or frail elderly is shown to help
avoid obesity and its related chronic illnesses. Older adults who struggle
with weight should focus on physical activity designed to preserve muscle
and bone mass. Both the American Society for Nutrition and the North
American Association for the Study of Obesity recommend routine physical
activity that includes stretching, aerobics and strengthening exercises.
- Talk
with your doctor about the effects of your prescription drugs on weight
management, and get advice on the best way to address it.
- Believe
it or not, getting enough sleep helps you burn more calories. Because of
certain hormone changes that occur when you don’t get enough sleep, you
crave more food but feel less full. A lack of sleep also contributes to
sleep-deprivation, and that leads to craving high-energy foods, which are
often sweet or salty.
- Protein
leads to healthy muscle development, but if certain sources of protein,
such as meat, are harder to eat, focus on other, softer sources of protein
like yogurt or eggs.
- Consult
a dietician or your doctor before losing weight. For a number of reasons,
diets that are recommended for younger adults can be dangerous and
counter-productive in older adults. Don’t rely on weight-management tips
you used when you were younger unless your doctor says it’s OK.
- If
long exercise sessions are too much, adjust your physical fitness activity
to short intervals throughout the day. For example, you can gain as much
physical benefit from three 10-minute exercise sessions than one for a
total of 30 minutes.
At Comfort Keepers of Durham and Chapel Hill, we understand the stress that you and your family go through in this transition. We are here to help you and give you the support you need when dealing with a loved one and senior and eldercare issues. Call us at 919-338-2044 or visit us online.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Data Brief Number 106, published September 2012
“How much physical activity do older adults need?” published by the Centers for Disease Control and Management, www.cdc.gov, September 2013.
“Older Adults and Obesity—is Dieting the Answer?” by Lindsey Getz for Today’s Dietician, Volume 15, No. 8, page 44.
“Weight Loss After 40: Why it’s So Hard—and What Works,” by Melanie Haiken, Senior Editor, Caring.com.
“Obesity in Older Adults,” by Ann Mabe Newman, DSN, APRN, CNF for The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, Volume 14, No. 1, Manuscript 3.
“How to Prevent Obesity,” by the editors of www.StanfordHospital.org on behalf of
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