Age isn’t an obstacle to successful weight loss, according to a new study

Obese patients over the age of 60 can lose an amount of weight equivalent to that of young people using lifestyle changes alone, according to a new study from the University of Warwick and the NHS Trust of Coventry University Hospitals and Warwickshire (UHCW) which proves that age is no obstacle to losing weight.

The researchers hope their findings will help correct prevailing societal biases about the effectiveness of weight loss programs in older people, as well as dispel myths about the potential benefits of older people trying to reduce their weight.

The results are based on an analysis of patient medical records from a hospital obesity service and are reported in the journal Clinical endocrinology.

This retrospective study was conducted at the Warwickshire Institute for the Study of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (WISDEM) at UHCW. The researchers randomly selected 242 patients who attended the WISDEM-based obesity service between 2005 and 2016 and compared two groups (those under the age of 60 and those between the ages of 60 and 78) for the weight loss they achieved during their time on the service.

All patients were measured their body weight both before and after the lifestyle interventions administered and coordinated within the WISDEM-based obesity service and the percentage reduction in body weight calculated in both groups. When compared, the two groups were statistically equivalent, with those 60 years of age and older reducing their body weight on average by 7.3% compared to a 6.9% reduction in body weight in those younger at 60. Both groups spent a similar amount of time in the obesity service, averaging 33.6 months for those 60 and over and 41.5 months for those under the age of 60.

The hospital-based program used only lifestyle-based changes tailored to each individual patient, focusing on dietary changes, psychological support, and encouragement of physical activity. Most patients referred to the obesity service were morbidly obese with BMI typically greater than 40 kg^-2.

There are more than 50 co-morbidities of obesity that can be reduced as we lose weight, including diabetes, psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety, osteoarthritis, and other mechanical problems. Obesity is also linked to increased mortality and poor well-being.

Lead author Dr Thomas Barber of Warwick Medical School at the University of Warwick said: “Weight loss is important at any age, but comorbidities are more likely to develop as we age. related to the weight of obesity.These are similar to the effects of aging, so it could be argued that the importance of weight loss increases as we age, and this is something we should embrace.

“There are a number of reasons why people may discount weight loss in older people. These include an ‘age-old’ perspective that weight loss is not relevant to older people and misconceptions of people’s impaired capacity. Older People Lose Weight Through Diet Modification and Gaining Older people may feel that hospital obesity services are not for them. Service providers and policy makers should appreciate the importance of weight loss in older people with obesity, for the maintenance of health and well-being and to promote healthy aging., age by itself should not contribute to clinical decisions regarding the implementation of lifestyle management for older people.

“Age shouldn’t be an obstacle to managing the lifestyle of obesity. Rather than hindering older people’s access to weight loss programs, we should proactively facilitate that process. Doing otherwise would risk further neglect and needlessly older people because of society’s misconceptions of the age. ”