Losing Weight In The Elderly

It is crucial to understand that weight loss is not a normal part of aging but it is a common symptom with the loss of appetite in the elderly population.

Losing weight in the elderly. Natural changes in the body cause reductions in bone and muscle mass. Put it on the calendar. So the reality is that promoting weight loss to normal.

And weight loss in older adults can lead to muscle loss. Weight loss may be a side effect of depression which is defined as feeling sad lost or empty for at least two weeks these emotions interfere with daily activities such as going to work or. With this disorder the person is hungry and yet they deliberately restrict food consumption because of concerns about weight gain.

Aging is generally accompanied by weight loss made up of both fat mass and fat free mass. A connected scale can make it easier to log and share the. Depression cancer heart disease and medications may be causes among others.

But they are already in the best range of bmi for their age with the lowest risk of mortality. As more people including elderly are overweight or obese weight loss is recommended to improve health. It follows that unexplained weight loss in an older person almost always is a marker of an underlying illness.

According to the american family physician 16 28 percent of people experiencing unintended weight loss present with no easily identifiable cause. Here the weight loss was more subtle but still clinically significant. Tracking monthly weights is a good way to keep an eye on the health of an older adult.

Health risks are decreased in overweight children and adults by dieting and exercise but the health ben. You spend much of your life trying to keep your weight down but with age shedding pounds can be cause for concern rather than celebration. Older adults have less muscle to start with we ll dive into that soon.