Why is losing weight in old age a special issue?
The issue of obesity and weight loss in old age contains a kind of “logical trap”. On the one hand, excess weight is harmful to health, but diet and exercise can be beneficial. On the other hand, some evidence suggests that excess weight may have a protective effect on health. In addition, weight loss may be accompanied by loss of muscle mass and decreased bone density. After all, weight loss in old age can be a dangerous symptom.
These features are the cause of debate among scientists and the source of myths among doctors and laymen.
I'm losing weight from 60 to 50 kg.
In a month, with the right diet and a tight training schedule, you can actually lose from 5 to 10 kg. True, such an effect will only happen if before that you were doing something for at least three months.
Which, in fact, is what we see in the description - for six months or so, then it became densely populated. Yes, I’m not talking about the rate of weight loss.
At 50, Evelina Musina looks like not everyone can look. She glows with happiness and drowns in male attention. But just a few months ago she was an abandoned woman, angry at the whole world and all men combined. Even as a child. What kind of diets have I been on!
This is what confused me. And walk to the 20th floor? It seems to me that you won’t get to the gym after this. A couple of my friends started losing weight after moving to rented apartments without an elevator, and having to go up to the fifth floor. Problems with my legs started.
Can losing weight in old age be dangerous?
Weight loss can be either unexplained or intentional. The inexplicable happens without the desire of people and without active actions on their part. It does come with health risks: most notably, an increased risk of death.
In this material, we focus on intentional weight loss: to achieve it, people work, exercise, and diet to achieve it. The consequences of such weight loss are usually favorable.
Obesity
The standard criterion for obesity is a body mass index (BMI) above 30 kg/m2. To determine it, weight in kilograms is divided by height in meters squared (BMI = m/h2).
In old age, BMI becomes an unreliable indicator. This is due to a large loss of mass due to muscles, their replacement with adipose tissue, and age-related decrease in height. Because of this, a person with a normal BMI may end up with a high percentage of body fat.
Abdominal (central) obesity (excessive fat deposits in the abdominal area) may be a more informative indicator of health risks. For example, a waist circumference of more than 102 centimeters for men and more than 88 for women indicates a high risk of developing metabolic syndrome.
Competition “Thinner and Happy”
And it’s even more difficult to remove fat after gaining weight, but not burn muscle. Are you one of those who eat lard, wash it down with sunflower oil and don’t get fat? Now imagine that some people get fat from regular food in regular sizes.
For some it’s easy to gain weight, for others it’s easy to lose weight. But among everyone there are inadequate people who consider their situation to be the norm. This is impossible. I will prove: Each organism has an individual reaction. It's right.
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Let's say the body needs calories per day. Eat less and lose weight. Eat more and you'll get fat. That's how it works. Therefore, when a person says: “regular size and I’m getting fat,” it means he’s eating. He doesn't eat, he eats. Eats sweet, tasty and fatty food.
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He eats more than his body needs. I lost weight from 86 kg to 73 in 2 months. I ate a lot, 7 times a day. About calories per serving. Metabolism speeds up, the body lacks energy, fat reserves begin to be burned. Then you can say whether you know exactly how much it is: “regular sizes.”
Physical exercise and fitness are very good, of course, but we should not forget about stretching exercises. If you don’t stretch, there is a risk of becoming almost wooden. In general, I fried a chicken here, but I only ate the breast before taking the photo, I couldn’t resist. Now I’ll definitely lose weight!
I always wanted to see what people look like who claim on the Internet that losing weight is easy. I would venture to guess that they have never had much weight or experience losing weight.
Of course, putting on 30 extra kg is never a reason for pride, but getting rid of what you’ve been eating is still a task, I tell you. More like a “how I became superman” fantasy. If the post is true, the author is really superman. Or Batman, depending on your taste. But no, there is nothing particularly incredible in this story except perhaps for the last remark, but there is certainly no way to check this.
Does excess weight really have a protective effect?
The obesity paradox is a factor that may make some doctors wary of recommending weight loss to older adults. This is a hypothesis that is based on several studies. According to it, obesity may protect older people from death and complications of some chronic diseases. The paradox is that obesity is an important factor in the development and severe course of these same diseases.
Some studies have demonstrated that the risk of death in older people decreases as BMI increases. This effect was found, in particular, for mortality from heart failure and stroke. Scientists have linked weight loss to an increased risk of hip fracture.
Studies that instill fear about weight loss usually have a common flaw: they don't address the cause of weight loss . It may be associated primarily with unwanted, involuntary weight loss. The accuracy of the results of such studies may also be affected by the usually short duration of observation of older people.
The obesity paradox can hardly be applied to intentional weight loss. However, before losing weight in old age, you need to consult a good specialist.
What harm can obesity cause in old age?
The obesity paradox remains a subject of scientific debate, and the harmful effects of obesity on older adults are well known.
Obesity and/or abdominal obesity is associated with:
- increased likelihood of developing metabolic syndrome;
- an increase in the level of risk markers for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus in the blood;
- risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, death from cardiovascular diseases;
- osteoarthritis;
- lung diseases and sleep apnea;
- urinary incontinence (for women);
- breast cancer.
The risk of death associated with increasing BMI increases until age 75. Scientists are not sure why the logic “the more weight, the greater the likelihood of death” does not work for people over this age. There is an assumption that most of the people who are most sensitive to the complications of obesity do not live to these years.
High body fat may predict risk of disability, and obesity is associated with decreased quality of life.
What exactly is known about the benefits of losing weight in old age?
Weight loss programs improve the health of older adults. Here are examples of studies in which scientists analyzed their effects.
Heart disease, metabolism
In several studies (1, 2, 3), researchers have shown the effectiveness of aerobic exercise programs (150 minutes per week) and a low-calorie diet in people aged 60–79 years for heart disease and metabolic syndrome. After 18 months, participants noted:
- weight loss and an increase in lean body mass, a decrease in the level of markers of obesity and inflammation in the blood;
- decrease in blood pressure;
- improvement of markers of diabetes mellitus and heart disease in the blood.
The more severe the participants' pathology, the more pronounced the benefits of weight loss were. Potentially, consolidation of such results could lead to a decrease in the risk of disability and a decrease in mortality.
Hypertensive patients who voluntarily lost weight had a reduced need for medications to lower blood pressure.
Quality of life, mobility
In 2013, American scientists published the results of three studies on the effectiveness of various exercises and a low-calorie diet. According to their data, after 4-18 months, participants aged 50-79 years did not lose weight, their mobility increased, they began to walk faster and became more independent.
Another study showed that exercise (3 sessions of 90 minutes per week) and weight loss improved the condition of older people with mild to moderate manifestations of senile asthenia (frailty).
Arthritis
Weight loss following a special program resulted in pain relief in patients who suffered from both knee osteoarthritis and obesity. They began to move easier and became more independent.
But deliberate weight loss also has side effects?
Loss of muscle tissue
Even with voluntary weight loss in old age, there are several potential risks. One of the most important concerns is related to the loss of lean mass, primarily muscle mass. It may account for up to a quarter of the weight lost.
The danger of sarcopenia (a decrease in the quantity and quality of muscle mass) can be “bypassed” when losing weight. The most effective means of counteracting it is strength exercises: with dumbbells, body weight, expanders. They not only strengthen muscles, but also help get rid of excess fat (1, 2). Other types of exercise, such as aerobic exercise and their combination with strength training, also help prevent sarcopenia.
Sarcopenia and obesity are related to diet: the former develops due to inadequate nutrition, the latter due to excessive energy intake. To select the right diet, you need to consult a specialist. It should be low in calories, but contain sufficient amounts of protein and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).
Bone loss
Weight loss in old age is often accompanied by decreased bone density (osteopenia). Bone disorders increase the risk of fractures.
In a new review of bone health in old age, scientists indicate that decreased bone density is more often associated with involuntary weight loss. Desired weight loss through diet and exercise can also negatively impact bones. But this effect, according to experts, is relatively small. Combining a low-calorie diet with exercise can help keep your bones nearly the same as before you lost weight.
How to lose weight from 60 kg to 50?
And this helps her maintain the result - 50 kg. To tighten her muscles and skin, she additionally did water aerobics for a month and a half. If you decide to lose weight from 60 kg to 50 and want to do it in a short time, do not forget about contraindications. After all, any change in diet, especially diet, can cause an exacerbation of existing chronic gastrointestinal diseases.
A sudden increase in physical activity will adversely affect the health of those who have problems with the musculoskeletal system and the cardiovascular system.
Pregnancy Week Planning Children under 3 years old Children 18 years old Children older. First trimester. Second trimester. Third trimester.
Emergency weight loss is strictly prohibited for women during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as for teenage children. This is the main thing. The calorie expenditure must be greater than the calorie intake, then the weight will go away. Completely exclude sweets, fast food, soda, and flour.
Eat grains, protein, vegetables, unsweetened fruits. Try to walk 10 km a day. In your free time, exercise for minutes at a time. By observing all this, losing weight is quite possible. Login magazine. Health Gadgets Myths News Why is this so? Prevention Sex Symptoms and Treatment Injuries Self-Care. All challenges Healthy sleep. How you feel in the morning and your energy level throughout the day depends not only on how much sleep you get, but also when you go to bed and wake up. Doctors unanimously advise both owls and larks to fall asleep no later than midnight.
Of course, there are exceptions to any rule: urgent work, parties, travel - all this can disrupt sleep patterns for a short time. And all these three weeks we will tell you about tricks that will help you rebuild painlessly. A three-week challenge for those who want to give up sweets. This is one of the most difficult marathons that The Challenger has organized. Anyone who has ever tried to give up sweets knows how difficult it is.
Elderly people may need help
Losing extra pounds and maintaining a healthy weight requires changes in diet and staying active. It can be difficult for older people to change their lifestyle due to illness, decreased quality of life, depression, and cognitive impairment. Their physical activity may be reduced due to disability and muscle weakness. Loneliness and social isolation may pose additional challenges.
Older people often need help from family members or professionals. The help of a specialist is advisable because most of the available weight loss programs are designed for younger people.
Weight loss formula
In fact, the plan the girl used was quite simple. It consisted of only 4 stages:
- refusal of dinner;
- adding physical activity.
- additional exercise and calorie control;
- using dietary recipes for weight loss.
At first glance, this plan seems simple enough, but sticking to it was quite difficult in practice. However, the heroine of this article more than succeeded, which can be clearly seen by looking at her before and after photos.
