Age is Not a Barrier to Successful Weight Loss

Obese patients who are over the age of 60 can lose an equivalent amount of weight as younger people using only lifestyle changes, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in the journal Clinical Endocrinology.

The experts hope that their findings could help correct existing societal misconceptions about the effectiveness of weight loss programs in older adults and dispel myths about the potential benefits of older people trying to reduce their weight.

‘Lifestyle changes to manage weight loss are effective in decreasing obesity regardless of age.’

The University of Warwick demonstrates that age is no barrier to losing weight. The researchers randomly chose 242 patients who attended the WISDEM-based obesity service between 2005 and 2016 and analyzed two groups (those aged between 60 and 78 years and those aged under 60 years and) for the weight loss that they achieved during their time within the service.

Bodyweight was measured for all patients measured before and after lifestyle interventions administered and coordinated within the WISDEM-based obesity service. The percentage reduction in body weight was calculated across both groups.

When compared, the two groups were equivalent statistically, with those aged 60 years and over on average decreasing their body weight by 7.3 percent compared with a bodyweight reduction of 6.9 percent in those aged under 60 years. Both groups spent the same amount of time within the obesity service, on average 33.6 months for those 60 years and above, and 41.5 months for those younger than 60 years.

The hospital-based program used only lifestyle-based changes tailored to each person, focusing on dietary changes, psychological support, and encouragement of physical activity. Most of the patients assigned to the obesity service were morbidly obese with BMIs typically over 40Kgm-2.

The study author concludes that "Age should be no barrier to lifestyle obesity management. Rather than putting up barriers to older people accessing weight loss programmes, we should be proactively facilitating that process. To do otherwise would risk further and unnecessary neglect of older people through societal ageist misconceptions."

Source: Medindia