Weight Management Guide For Seniors

Obesity is a major epidemic in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world.

Indeed, 1/2 of US adults and 18% of children and young people are obese and risk severe health complications such as type 2 diabetes, joint diseases, heart disease, and premature death.

Obesity has a substantial economic impact on this country as a whole, in addition to its severe health consequences. In 2010 the estimated healthcare costs associated with obesity were $ 190.2 billion, almost 21% of all medical expenses in the United States per year, and the only year by year continue to rise.

The senior and ageing population, like anyone else, needs to address healthy weight management and to be aware of how weight gain can cause their health problems. However, older people may be even more vulnerable since our metabolism slows down and weight gain becomes more a problem with our ageing.

Lean Muscle Mass Loss

Have you ever seen a teenager inhale food like a breath of air and not get an ounce of it? A lot of this in our younger years is due to a higher metabolic rate.

Did you know our metabolism begins to slow down as we age?

While genetics help to determine our overall metabolic performance, metabolism is greatly determined by having sufficient amounts of lean muscle mass because muscle burns more calories per hour than fat, and this means that even when they are at rest, those with lean and muscular bodies can burn more.

As we age, our overall muscle mass decreases, and this slows metabolism by about 2% to 8% per decade. By doing simple strength training exercises with the use of free weights or weight machines, this can be counteracted.

Ideally, strength training should take place early in life, but especially as we head into our 40s and 50s because metabolism is not likely to reduce as much as you age when you maintain lean muscle mass.

In particular, seniors are more likely to gain weight as their metabolism slows down, which can contribute to obesity and the serious health issues associated with it.

Weight Gain

Lack of activity, even when we continue to eat as we have our whole lives due to the decrease in metabolism, is the number one cause of weight gain. As our metabolism declines, so does the ability of our bodies to burn calories. Our bodies will start to turn the excess calories into fat if we keep eating the same amount of food. The less active we become, the more overweight we get. This leads to more weight gain in turn.

Weight Management

A Solution

A combination of diet and exercise is the solution for reversing and preventing obesity. A good diet will reduce the amount of calories you consume, while exercise will burn off the calories you eat. Each will get rid of some of the calories that are in excess. They will get rid of a significant amount of calories together.

The best way of getting rid of unwanted weight is to find a balance between diet and exercise.

The Diet For Weight Management

We also need to change how we eat in order to lose weight. Our bodies are starting to secrete fewer digestive enzymes as we get older. This changes how nutrients are broken down and absorbed by our bodies.

We also need to change how we eat in order to lose weight. Our bodies are starting to secrete fewer digestive enzymes as we get older. This changes how nutrients are broken down and absorbed by our bodies.

• Avoid foods high in sugar and fat. More calories are found in fat and can lead to high LDL (bad) cholesterol.
• Eat small portions of food more frequently. In one sitting, the body really only needs about 300-400 calories. Anything more than that is transformed into fat stores. With weight loss, eating smaller portions will help.
• Eat more foods that are based on plants, like fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and high in the body’s need for vitamins and minerals, making them high-quality calorie foods.
•  Eat more fibre. Fibre is low in calories and filling. Indigestion, fibre also assists. Kale is a great plant food that is full of fibre and other vital nutrients. It is very filling and it can be eaten raw or sautéed slightly. There are many great plant foods that are filled with fibre, including broccoli in the weight loss arsenal, which can be a great weapon.
•  Drink more water. Thirst often feels like hunger, and we eat rather than drink. Drinking icy cold water also helps to burn a little more calories because as it passes through, the body needs to heat it.

Exercise For Weight Management

By increasing your muscle mass and speeding up your metabolism, exercise can help you to lose weight.

Aside from weight loss and building lean muscle mass, there are many other practical advantages to being active. Some of these include increased endurance, stamina, balance, vitality and agility, all of which in senior years are helpful.

Aerobic workouts and resistance training are the best exercises for weight loss.

Aerobic Exercise

The heart and the cardiovascular system are exercised through an aerobic workout. The body burns more calories whenever our heart beats faster. The longer you maintain your heart rate, the more calories you’re going to burn and help for weight loss

The heart is strengthened by an aerobic workout and blood flow to the entire body is increased. This gives the body a rush of nutrients and energy that causes the body to burn while exercising and at rest as well.

It is recommended that you do aerobic exercise for 30 minutes every day, at least 3 days a week, preferably 5 times.

Jogging, Biking, elliptical trainers, various fitness classes, walking,  just to name a few.

Resistance Training

Training for resistance targets the muscles directly. It is used to increase muscle mass and has a greater effect than aerobics on calorie burning. We also increase our metabolism by boosting muscle mass. This means that all the time, and not just during a particular workout, our bodies are burning more calories.

It is recommended that 8 to 10 different exercises should consist of resistance training. There should be 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise. Work until you are tired of the muscles, but don’t strain yourself.

These are simple tips that anyone can follow at any age for healthy weight management and an incredible overall health boost, but especially in older years when serious health problems can be caused by the effects of time on our bodies.