To eat or not to eat, that is the question. People of every age are unrealistically obsessed with weight control. No one, it seems, is ever satisfied with the body they were gifted with. Seniors are no acceptation. They all fuss about being weighed when they go to the doctor, they dread monthly wellness checkups when/if they live in a retirement community, and they avoid the scale in the bathroom. The numbers on a scale seem to suggest that perfection is always a pound or two away.
Everyone, including seniors, fall into one of two groups. Those in group one hope to lose weight, and those in group two struggle to maintain or gain weight.
What you weigh says a lot about you. Though obesity is a major health concern, doctors who specialize in treating the elderly report just the opposite problem; patients who are too thin and getting thinner can easily slip into a “failure to thrive” category.
Loss of weight in the elderly can be multifaceted; loss related to treatable or untreatable conditions, side effects from medications, self-image, or simply not having easy access to grocery stores. Shopping, preparing, and eating a diet that is both nutritious and reasonably delicious can be difficult at any age.
Examine the reason why you are dissatisfied with your weight, but keep in mind that being slightly overweight is not a bad thing. With age slim, slender, or svelte easily slips into “scrawny.” and malnourished.
Being slightly overweight poses little risk for men and women over 70. Plain and simple, folks who are 20 pounds underweight are at greater risk for health problems than those who are 20 pounds over.
Stop fearing the scale. Stop believing that you are overweight when in reality you are not. Researchers agree that people carrying a few extra pounds are not only healthier but are less apt to develop dementia. Gives you pause, doesn’t it?
Enjoy your food and stop feeling guilty when you eat something that literally melts in your mouth. Nobody cares whether you wear a size 6 or a size 16. They just want to love you, and they want you to be healthy.
Leave a Reply