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Should You Diet, If You Are Overweight & Elderly?
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The adage 'better late than never' has perhaps never been applied more accurately!
Meera took to visiting the gym in her late-fifties after retiring from a government job. Explaining that diet and exercise are two sides of the coin, her kindly fitness instructor also prescribed her a low-calorie nutritious diet to follow.
It's never too late to lose weight
Being overweight, Meera looked upon the opportunity as a last ditch effort to lose weight and look good. She conscientiously followed the diet regimen. Besides, the modern gadgets available in the gym fascinated her - she relished working out to improve her muscle tone!
But when Meera shared this news to her friends at a social gathering, she faced a volley of criticism. From "Gyms are not meant for people of our age" to "Stick to a morning and evening walk" and "Dieting could adversely your health" - her friends did their best to dissuade her.
Dieting and elderly women - a no go?
In a sense, their fears were not unfounded. A prevailing belief suggests that especially post-menopausal overweight women should not take to dieting, as weight loss attributed to a greater loss of muscle than fat could lead to infirmity and reduced physical function.
Since Meera had never felt fitter in her life, she sought to visit her family doctor to clarify the matter. He explained that Meera's friends had meant to allude to the natural process of losing lean mass as we age. They believed that dieting would compound this natural loss of muscle, and hence change her body composition (proportion of fat, muscle and bone) for the worse.
Seeing Meera's face fall, her doctor quickly reassured her that while weight loss solely from dieting is not advisable for elderly adults, there is no danger from weight loss from a combination of exercise and eating fewer calories by adopting a wholesome, low-fat diet.
Share your plans with your GP
He also suggested that Meera would have done well to consult him before embarking on her programme, saying "I agree you were otherwise healthy even if overweight, but some elderly people have certain dietary restrictions because of diabetes or other lifestyle ailments. So connecting with your GP before starting a new diet and exercise programme is always a good idea."
Nevertheless praising Meera for her initiative and commitment, he also shared the outcome of a research study conducted in the USA. Apparently, this study titled Diet, Exercise and Metabolism in Older Women (DEMO) involved obese, sedentary post-menopausal women whose average age was 58.
For five months, the women participating in the DEMO study were provided meals and snacks that gave them 400 fewer calories than required to maintain their body weight. Their body composition and physical function - such as knee and hand-grip strength, walking speed, aerobic fitness and ability to quickly rise from a chair without using their arms - were measured before and after this period.
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