Weight Management for Seniors
Senior weight management begins with acknowledging reality: Adults aged 60 and over account for about one-third of the obese population.
Body mass indexes that fall in the overweight and obese category have been increasing over the past few decades to the point that obesity is reaching epidemic numbers worldwide. While weight management for seniors can be especially challenging, it’s an important step in staying healthy.
Let’s take a closer look at the problem — and the senior weight management solutions.
The Starting Point for Senior Weight Management
Calculated using your height and weight, the BMI is a helpful senior weight management tool used to classify weights into healthy, overweight, and obese categories. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is healthy, a BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and greater than 30 is obese. You can use this link to check your BMI.
Weight management for seniors isn’t about fitting into your favorite pair of jeans. Medical conditions associated with being overweight include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, decreased mobility, kidney disease, increased joint pain, increased risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, depression, sleep apnea, and some cancers.
In fact, obesity is more than just a condition with increased health risks. It’s now recognized by the American Medical Association as its own disease.
The Causes of Being Overweight
We all know that poor food choices and a sedentary lifestyle contribute to weight gain over the years. The holidays are a notorious time for putting on pounds. That desk job you had for 40 years probably didn’t help either.
However, senior weight management isn’t as simple as we once may have thought. There are additional factors that come into play, including genetics and psychological, cultural, and environmental influences. Because being overweight and obesity are complex conditions, the treatment is also complex.
Embracing Active Living for Seniors
It’s time for the good news! Losing just 5% to 10% of your total weight can result in lower blood pressure, better sleep, more energy, and an improved mindset — to name just a few benefits.
Even more good news: A weight loss of 10 pounds takes 40 pounds of pressure off your knees. Imagine heading out for your daily stroll without your knees bothering you, climbing steps without wincing, or even playing a round of pickleball with friends. Healthy living for seniors means being active — and that’s a lot easier to do when you feel better.
Finding Your Senior Weight Management Solution
What can you do to start a journey toward a healthier weight?
If you just computed your BMI, you have already taken the first step. Recognizing your weight as overweight or obese gives you the power to change it. A good place to start is with behavioral changes such as eating healthier and increasing physical activity. You should also consider if you are an emotional eater or if you eat out of boredom. Next, make an appointment with your doctor and discuss the best way to change your eating habits and the type of physical activity that will work for you.
Keep in mind that an ideal weight is not always in the normal BMI category. Your best weight can be determined in a discussion with your healthcare provider. You might be wondering if weight loss drugs, such as Ozempic, are right for you. While many people do lose weight on these drugs, they often come with gastrointestinal side effects like nausea and vomiting, and clinical trials found that adults over age 65 are more likely to experience these side effects. That doesn’t rule them out, but it does mean you’ll want to consult with your doctor and give it some thought before seeking a prescription.
Healthy Living for Seniors
Now for the million-dollar question: How do you implement better choices?
As we said, it’s not always as simple as just eating less and moving more. Often, a bit of guidance in both categories is helpful. Are you eating the right kinds of foods? Do you have to balance blood glucose concerns? Does working out in the heat make you lightheaded? Are you getting enough sleep and drinking enough water?
Your journey toward healthy senior living will be different from everyone else’s. That’s why it’s so important to talk to your doctor and perhaps also consult with a nutritionist. In the meantime, here are links with advice for eating healthier and moving more:
- Tips for Maintaining Healthy Weight by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- MyPlate by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
- The Benefits of Yoga for Older Adults
- The 7 Best Exercise Machines for Seniors
- Live Online Classes by SilverSneakers
- Power Your Walk Challenge: Eat Right to Walk Strong by SilverSneakers
Weight management for seniors can be challenging. A good strategy is finding an accountability partner who will support you on your journey and help you keep the weight off. Your accountability partner can be anyone — a friend, spouse, or neighbor — who will keep you on track to reach your goal.
You might also consider using an app to help you stay on track. MyFitnessPal is known for its huge database of foods, making it easy to track calories and nutrition. Happy Scale is another favorite thanks to its graph which balances out highs and lows on the scale, showing you much more motivational weight loss trends instead. Simple is a diet-free weight loss app that focuses more on nutritional food choices and less on restrictive eating. All of the above offer both free versions and paid versions with more features.
Whatever path you take, remember that even losing 10 pounds can change your life. Enjoy your journey to healthy living for seniors!
Springpoint has been helping active seniors plan for a future filled with confidence since 1916, offering Life Plan Communities, senior care communities, a family of affordable housing residences, and age-in-place home care options. Contact us to find out more.