Weight Loss In The Elderly

Accurate evaluation is essential however because this problem is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

Weight loss in the elderly. Most people believe that weight loss in elderly people is a natural part of aging. But losing a significant amount of weight without trying to do so can indicate a potentially serious health issue for seniors. Muscle loss or muscle wasting can lead to unexpected weight loss the major symptom is muscle weakness.

It s up to us to stop unintended weight loss in older adults. Health risks are decreased in overweight children and adults by dieting and exercise but the health ben. In fact according to a report in american family physician unintentional weight loss which is defined as dropping more than 5 percent of your body weight in six to 12 months occurs in 15 to 20 percent of older adults and is linked to an.

Unintended weight loss leads to muscle loss. Here s the bottom line. Muscle loss leads to loss of independence increased fall risk and risk of early death.

Most medical professionals define unintentional weight loss as a 5 10 decrease in body weight over 1 to 12 months and more specifically a 5 loss over a 6 month period. Weight loss in elderly is a big deal. Unintentional weight loss in the elderly patient can be difficult to evaluate.

5 common causes of weight loss in seniors. 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. The bottom line on weight loss in elderly.

The fact of the matter is that weight loss changes happen naturally and may not be a cause for alarm for caregivers of seniors. One of your limbs may even look smaller than the other. Weight loss in obese elderly would be beneficial not only in terms of health outcomes 5 but also because the amount of work that must be done to perform simple activities would be reduced 6.