Losing Weight After Age 60

Losing weight can be a challenge at any age, however after 60 it becomes harder. Being over-weight increases health issues and your risk for long-term care. An advance plan for longevity prior to retirement is key.

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Losing Weight After Age 60
3 Min Read April 9th, 2018 Updated:December 1st, 2023

As the years go by, the pounds creep on. It's a common experience but being overweight isn't just another side effect of advancing age. It is possible to live out your golden years at a healthy weight, no matter your current weight.

Why Lose Weight?

In the United States, 38.5% of adults over the age of 60 are obese, according to the State of Obesity. Many more are overweight. It's easy to write off weight gain as a part of getting older, but those extra pounds can greatly impact your health and quality of life.

When you're overweight, you're at increased risk of developing high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. These are serious health conditions, but it's often easy to ignore the prospect of future health problems as long as they're not affecting you today.

Think about all the ways extra weight does affect you today. Do you feel achy or have low energy? Do you have trouble getting around or walking far? These may be minor inconveniences today, but they can grow disabling over time, especially if you suffer a fall. Reuters reports that extra weight increases seniors' fall risk by 31%.

If you want to keep enjoying life in old age, now is the time to start losing weight. But before you start cutting calories or working out, there are a few things you need to know about losing weight after 60.

Keeping Up with Nutrition

Whether you're over 60 or under 60, the basic rule of weight loss applies: You need to burn more calories than you consume. However, seniors' unique nutritional needs make it challenging to ensure proper nutrition while cutting back.

Cutting calories isn't enough. Seniors must plan their meals carefully and limit empty calories to maximize their meals' nutritional value. A healthy diet should include vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, fish, lean meat, and poultry. Be careful to drink plenty of water. Sense of thirst declines with age, so it's good practice to track your intake. You may also want to consider asking your doctor about a Wegovy prescription. This FDA-approved medication can help you lose weight alongside other healthy lifestyle changes.

Exercising Safely

For seniors, it's crucial to exercise while losing weight. Muscle loss increases as we age, and weight loss accelerates muscle loss unless you're building strength simultaneously. However, if you've been living a sedentary lifestyle, you must take it slow to avoid injury. Researchers recommend older obese adults start with a slow, moderate-intensity exercise to limit strain on weakened muscles and joints. 

Incorporate both strength training and aerobic exercise into your routine; as strength and endurance builds, you'll achieve a more active lifestyle.

While maintaining muscle mass is important, it's not the only reason to exercise. Exercise also counters the negative mental health impacts of obesity. Both obesity and old age increase a person's risk for depression, and exercise is a powerful self-management tool that can improve your mood, energy, and outlook.

Getting Past Pain

The lucky few who make it to seniorhood without a lingering pain or two. And unfortunately, it's hard to find motivation for exercise when you start the day with a stiff back or a sore knee. But not only is fitness important for staying healthy, but it can also reduce the physical and mental symptoms of chronic pain

Talk with your doctor to identify exercises to build strength without causing further pain or injury. Any diet or exercise plan should be discussed with your doctor, especially if you are over 60.

Increase Life Expectancy

According to research, people who make positive diet changes can add more years to their life. Those who change their diet from a typical Western diet to an optimized diet that includes more legumes, whole grains, and nuts, and less red and processed meat, will have better overall health and add more years to their life.  

There is now a publicly available online tool called the Food4HealthyLife calculator where both professionals and individuals can calculate the positive changes in diet.

"Understanding the relative health potential of different food groups could enable people to make feasible and significant health gains. The Food4HealthyLife calculator could be a useful tool for clinicians, policy makers, and lay-people to understand the health impact of dietary choices."

Lars Fadnes of the University of Bergen, Norway, says that research has shown health benefits associated with separate food groups or specific diet patterns but given limited information on the health impact of other diet changes. Their modeling methodology, he says, has bridged the gap.

Losing weight isn't easy, especially when you've been living with the same habits for years. But it's never too late to start changing your health for the better. Follow this advice to achieve your weight loss goals safely and healthily.

Remember that better overall health does not eliminate the other issues of longevity. The older we get, the possible need for long-term health care increases. People require long-term care services due to declining health, mobility problems, dementia, and the frailty of aging.

Making positive changes to health and lifestyle, including weight loss, is beneficial. It does not eliminate the need to plan for the costs and burdens of aging.

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About the Author

Ms. Bridges is the creator of www.AgingWellness.org, which aims to provide health and wellness resources for aging seniors.

LTC News Contributor Hazel Bridges

Hazel Bridges

Contributor since March 7th, 2018

Editor's Note

Having a few too many pounds also increases your risk of needing long-term care services and supports. First, you have added pressure on joints, leading to mobility problems and increased pain. Second, you have the impact of weight on other health issues like diabetes, heart, and high blood pressure.

As you consider your future and the inevitable aspects of aging, it's important to plan for the potential needs and costs of long-term care. The chances of requiring some form of long-term care increase as you age, and without proper preparation, the associated expenses can significantly impact your savings and the well-being of your family. 

By planning ahead, you ensure more control over your care options and can maintain your quality of life without placing a heavy burden on your loved ones.

The costs of long-term care are increasing and will significantly impact future retirement income and assets. These costs vary depending on where you live.

·        LTC NEWS Cost of Care Calculator - Find Where You Live

Long-Term Care Insurance offers several key benefits that are crucial for your planning:

  • Access to Quality Care: It ensures that you have choices for high-quality care that suit your preferences, whether that's in-home care, assisted living, or specialized nursing facilities.
  • Asset Protection: This insurance protects your savings and assets from the high costs of long-term care, helping to preserve your financial legacy for your family.
  • Easing Family Burden: It relieves your family from the financial and caregiving responsibilities, allowing them to focus on quality time with you rather than financial and care stresses.

Obtaining Long-Term Care Insurance is a proactive step that secures not just your future but also the well-being of your family, providing peace of mind for everyone involved.

The ideal time to add an LTC policy to your retirement plan is in your 40s or 50s, but if you are in your 60s or beyond, you still have affordable options depending on your health. 

Seek professional help in shopping and designing an LTC Insurance policy. An experienced, independent LTC Insurance specialist will provide you with accurate quotes from all the top-rated companies and offer professional recommendations. 

·        Find a Qualified Independent LTC Insurance Specialist

Make sure the specialist works with top-rated insurance companies and has all of the various types of policies that meet federal guidelines. 

·        What Is A Long-Term Care Insurance Specialist? How Can They Help You?

Finding Quality Care for Mom or Dad

LTC NEWS offers help for you and your family in many ways. The LTC NEWS Caregiver Directory is an excellent resource where you can find the most comprehensive directory of all types of long-term care services no matter where your loved one lives - Long-Term Care Services Directory | Find Care Near You.

If your loved one has an LTC Insurance policy, that will open the door to many quality care options, as one of the first questions most home health agencies and long-term care facilities will ask you is if the care recipient has an LTC policy.

Be sure to use the benefits from a loved one's LTC policy; trying to save them for later is not a good approach since access to quality care improves a person's quality of life immediately.

LTC NEWS has combined efforts with Amada Senior Care, a leading in-home health care agency with locations throughout the country, to help you process a claim from any LTC Insurance policy.

There is no cost or obligation for this service - Filing a Long-Term Care Insurance Claim

If they don't have an LTC policy, Amada can still help develop a plan of care and provide you with many affordable in-home care options. 

Learn more now - Find Quality In-Home Care.

These four LTC NEWS guides will assist you in trying to find appropriate long-term health care services for a loved one:

 

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