Cleve Clin J Med 2014 Jan 01;81(1)51-61, DC Cetin, G Nasr
Review · January 24, 2014
TAKE-HOME MESSAGE
Key points covered in this article:
- Waist circumference may be a better measure of adiposity than BMI in older patients.
- Although BMI > 30 kg/m2 is associated with health risks in older adults, survival may be better in moderately overweight individuals than in those who are normal weight or thin.
- Intensive lifestyle interventions, exercise and strength training, can improve overall health and quality of life in older obese individuals.
- Recommendations for weight loss in older obese patients need to consider the risk vs benefits for lifestyle interventions, medications, and bariatric surgery.
ABSTRACT
The number of obese older adults is on the rise, although we lack a proper definition of obesity in this age group. The ambiguity is primarily related to sarcopenia, the progressive loss of muscle and gain in fat that come with aging. Whether to treat and how to treat obesity in the elderly is controversial because of a paucity of established guidelines, but also because of the obesity paradox—ie, the apparently protective effect of obesity in this age group.
Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
Obesity in the Elderly: More Complicated Than You Think
Cleve Clin J Med 2014 Jan 01;81(1)51-61, DC Cetin, G Nasr