Research Explores Obesity and Weight Loss in Older People

The conventional wisdom holds that weight gain is often an inevitable consequence of the aging process. On average, men and women past childbearing age gain a pound a year. Today, the obesity epidemic that has impacted the rest of the population has also begun to effect the elderly population.

Carrying excess weight can diminish health and well-being no matter what age you are, but obesity often has dire health consequences for older men and women. Virtually every disease and health problem that is common in the older population can be complicated by obesity. In an age group that often faces separate difficulties with mobility and self-care, the added challenge of being overweight can be daunting.

In recent years, researchers the world over have begun to concentrate their efforts on investigating causes, consequences, and possible solutions for the obesity epidemic. This week, we?ll focus on recent research findings that explore the issue of obesity and weight loss in older people.

Being Moderately Overweight Does Not Detract Significantly from Life Span

It is well-known that obesity can complicate the health challenges and lifestyle issues facing older men and women. It has also long been assumed that obesity in elderly people was likely linked to earlier death.

However, the results of a recent study indicate that this long-held assumption may not be founded in scientific reality. According to research conducted by a scientific team at the Kyushu Dental College in Kitakyushu City, Japan, moderately overweight men and women did not have shorter life spans than their thinner counterparts.

Although the link between obesity and premature death from heart disease was confirmed, the research team found that overweight people did not die as a result of many other common geriatric infirmities at a rate greater than their thinner counterparts. Indeed, the results gathered by the team that moderately overweight individuals often experienced a measure of protection against illnesses, accidents, and injuries common in old age.

The researchers concluded that while avoiding morbid obesity is important throughout the entire lifespan, it may be beneficial for older people to avoid letting their weight fall into the low-normal range. They suggest further research to help develop more specific weight recommendations for older men and women.

Overweight Elderly May Benefit From Disease Protection

Confirming and extending the findings of the Japanese researchers, a team of investigators in China found that moderately overweight Chinese elders often enjoyed a measure of protection from infections diseases in comparison to their thinner counterparts. Specifically, researchers working at the Tuberculosis and Chest Service in Hong Kong found that overweight elders in China had much less risk of contracting tuberculosis than did older men and women whose weight was classified as normal or low-normal.

The study participants whose BMIs exceeded 25 (the standard designation of overweight) had as much as 30% less chance of contracting tuberculosis, according to the researchers? analyses. Although maintaining a healthy body weight is an important aspect of maintaining optimal health in later life, the implications of being moderately overweight may be different in parts of the world plagued by higher risk of infections diseases.

 Most Diets are Safe For Older Men and Women

Many elderly individuals have been advised to lose weight in order to experience the health gains associated with a normal weight range. However, some may concerned that the nutritional rigors of popular weight loss plans may not be conducive to their well-being.

While these concerns are valid, they may have been proven unfounded by the findings of a recent study conducted by researchers at the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. According to the results of the study, a traditional restricted-calorie weight loss diet has no significant negative effects on elderly individuals seeking to lose weight.

One of the most common concerns is the possibility that restricted-calorie diets will result in the loss of muscle mass, which can have grave consequences for mobility and independence in the elderly. However, the Wake Forest team found that muscle mass loss was minimal or negligible in elderly dieters.

Although most elderly dieters in the study lost relatively little weight, even five or ten pounds can result in a drastic improvement in overall health and quality of life. In the final analysis of the data, the researchers recommended restricted-calorie diets as a beneficial health initiative for older men and women.

If you are seeking to lose weight, consult with your physician before undertaking a diet regimen. Check back each week for more breaking diet news!

Scientists Explore the Mystery of Food Cravings

Everyone has experienced it: a sudden, overpowering urge for a particular flavor of ice cream, a midnight compulsion for just a bit more of the leftovers from dinner, or a deep longing for mom?s famous chocolate cake after a hard day at work.

For some, these food cravings are nothing more than a fleeting figment of the imagination that can often vanish as suddenly as they appear. But for men and women struggling with excess pounds, food cravings can be an ongoing challenge.

Food cravings are often blamed as the culprits that can cause excess pounds to creep on and derail weight loss efforts. If they are consistently indulged, they can lead to unhealthy eating patterns or even eating disorders. This week, we?ll take a look at some recent research into the causes of and cures for common food cravings.

People on Restricted-Calorie Diets Often Crave High-Calorie Foods

Researchers at Tufts University are in the midst of conducting a large-scale study assessing the benefits, risks, challenges, and pitfalls of low-calorie diets for weight loss. The CALERIE study is taking an in-depth look at the food choices, eating patterns, and behaviors of study participants on an array of restricted-calorie eating programs.

As part of the larger study, members of the research team asked study participants to describe the nature, duration, and outcome of their food cravings. Upon analysis of the results, some interesting patterns emerged.

Although the participants all reported different types of cravings that reflected individual differences in taste, culture, heritage, and background, virtually all of the cravings that were reported involved high-calorie foods. Many of the subjects described their cravings as intense and ongoing, nearing obsession in their duration and frequency.

The researchers posited that this pattern of cravings may be the body?s natural response to a restricted-calorie diet. In other words, it may be the body?s way of trying to encourage food intake. The researchers said that those embarking on a low- or restricted-calorie weight loss program should be warned that these cravings are normal, and will likely subside in intensity over time.

Craving Management, Not Suppression, Vital for Effective Weight Loss

For decades, dieters have been counseled to ignore and struggle against their food cravings. However, according to the results of a recent study published in the journal Friedman Nutrition Notes, this approach may actually hinder weight loss efforts in the long-term.

A team of researchers at the USDA?s Energy Metabolism Laboratory analyzed the food craving results of a group of study participants on low-calorie weight loss programs. According to the scientists, 91% of the participants reported intense food cravings that lasted throughout much of the program, even after as long as six months of dieting.

The researchers further suggested that dieters accept, rather than ignore, their food cravings. Once it is recognized that this is a universal, virtually unavoidable aspect of weight loss, dieters may be able to cope with the situation more effectively and transcend their cravings.

Food Cravings Often Disguise Emotional Issues, Study Shows

Often, we tend to see food cravings as a desire for a particular meal or treat. However, the results of a recent study seem to indicate that food cravings often go much deeper than merely satisfying hunger.

Researchers at the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab undertook an extensive study that quizzed more than 1,000 Americans about the patterns of their food cravings. They found that the majority of food cravings that were reported had some sort of emotional or nostalgic connection. For example, many respondents reported feeling drawn toward childhood favorites when under stress.

On a positive note, the researchers found that almost half of all reported food cravings were for relatively healthy foods. They urged those seeking to lose weight to ?give in? to their food cravings from time to time. However, the researchers reminded dieters that substituting healthier versions and minimizing portion sizes can be the key to overcoming food cravings in a manner that will not jeopardize their weight loss efforts.

Clearly, food cravings are an unavoidable part of calorie-restricted weight loss efforts. However, it is the outlook that dieters use to manage their cravings that can make or break their efforts.

Check back each week for more of the breaking research news that can help you on your weight loss journey!

Fitness and Weight Loss Being Updated Through New Research Breakthroughs

Although cases of obesity have been documented throughout human history, the problem has only become a serious issue over the course of the last century. For all intents and purposes, widespread obesity is a relatively new public health challenge, and researchers are still piecing together its origins and causes, as well as the most effective methods to use for weight loss and healthy weight maintenance.

Still, over time, many popular conceptions about weight loss have built up over time, partly as the result of early research efforts, and partly through public speculation, assumptions, and sometimes-misguided beliefs. In some cases, dieters seeking guidance for effective weight loss may actually be sabotaging their own chances of success by sticking to these weight loss ?rules.?

In recent months, several studies have been published that have reversed and revised several longstanding weight loss myths. This week, we?ll take a look at the results of three studies that have challenged the conventional wisdom of weight loss.

Researchers Probe the Effectiveness of Diets as Weight Loss Tools

From a biological point of view, weight loss should be easy. Theoretically, if you eat less and exercise more, you should lose weight. However, anyone who has ever waged a long-term struggle against excess poundage knows that it isn?t always exactly that simple.

For years, many doctors have assumed that patients who weren?t successful in their weight loss efforts weren?t sticking to their prescribed diet and fitness regimens. But recently, researchers began to take a more open-minded approach to the issue of weight loss. Several massive studies have recently looked at the reasons why some people succeed at weight loss, while others face repeated frustration and disappointment.

A group of researchers from the psychology department at the University of California, Los Angeles systematically analyzed the results from a wide array of previous studies of weight-loss diets. Specifically, the UCLA team sought to determine whether diets, on the whole, were effective tools for weight loss.

The results the team uncovered were mixed and inconclusive. In the short-term, dieting efforts were often successful. However, in the long-term, the dieters who maintained any weight loss lost an average of less than 3 pounds. The majority of those who lost weight through dieting actually gained weight in the long-term.

However, the research also determined that some of those long-term dieters that did not sustain significant declines in body weight were able to achieve other health benefits, such as decreased blood pressure, and lessened symptoms and medications for ailments such as Type 2 diabetes and arthritis.

Clearly, this is an area of research that merits further examination. Those struggling with excess weight deserve to have access to the best information possible when it comes to effective dieting techniques. Although somewhat discouraging for dieters, the UCLA team?s findings do provide a helpful jumping-off point for future studies on the subject.

?Yo-Yo? Dieting May Not Be as Harmful as Once Thought, Study Shows

One of the most common beliefs about weight loss is that 'yo-yo dieting? -- moving up and down the scale repeatedly over the course of a lifetime -- can be particularly harmful to health. Many top diet and fitness gurus have repeated this claim, adding that yo-yo dieters risk causing long-term damage to their metabolisms, making successful, permanent weight-loss difficult or impossible.

However, a recent study conducted by researchers at the National Institute of Health seems to indicate that the risks long attributed to yo-yo dieting -- or weight cycling, as it is referred to among medical professionals -- may have been overestimated. The research team analyzed the health data of a group of 2500 overweight men and women who were attempting to shed excess pounds on a program that included a restricted-calorie diet.

They found that the program participants fared about the same on the diet whether it was their first, second, third, or even fourth attempt. Men who were repeat dieters showed no signs of metabolic resistance or a slowed weight loss pace, while women who were repeat dieters showed only a very slight difference in comparison to their counterparts who were attempting the program for the first time. All patients experienced similarly positive benefits in terms of other health gains, as well.

Study Affirms Positive Benefits of Lifestyle Changes At Any Age

While the verdict is still out on the long-term benefits of diets as a weight-loss tool, a study conducted by researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina proves that even moderate lifestyle changes in later life can result in drastic improvements in overall health, well-being, and quality of life.

In the investigation, the health data of nearly 16,000 men and women who adopted recommended lifestyle changes between the ages of 45 and 64 were tracked and analyzed over a period of nearly 20 years. It was found that people who adopted all four recommended lifestyle changes, including eating maintaining a healthy weight, eating five or more fruits and vegetables every day, abstaining from smoking, and exercising for at least 2 1/2 hours a week exhibited dramatic health benefits, including significantly reduced rates of heart disease, stroke, and premature death.

It?s never too late to make lifestyle changes that can make your life better. Check back each week for more of the research news that will help you fine-tune your own healthy lifestyle.

Scientists Seek to Learn More about Human Obesity, Fitness by Studying Mice

At first glance, humans and rodents may not seem to have a whole lot in common with one another, but scientists have increasingly come to rely on these fuzzy little creatures to expand their understanding of obesity and weight loss. Surprisingly enough, mice share enough of our physiological features to be able to stand in for humans in many lab tests, experiments, and studies.

Indeed, most of the medical breakthroughs that have occurred over the course of the last century have their earliest origins in studies conducted using mice. With the epidemic of obesity that is now threatening the health and well-being of many in the Western world, scientists have begun using animal models to try to find out more about not only the causes of obesity, but also possible treatments and solutions for this problem. This week, we?ll take a look at three recent studies that offer new insight into fitness -- and fatness.

Access to Fast Food, Junk Food Can Alter Eating Behaviors

Over the last few years, there has been a firestorm of controversy surrounding the prevalence of unhealthy foods in modern society. Public health advocates have claimed that easy access to fast food has helped contribute to the obesity epidemic, while the companies that offer these products have countered that they can be part of a healthy diet if eaten in moderation.

Inspired by the documentary Super-Size Me, Dr. Brent Tetri, a gastroenterologist and liver specialist at St. Louis University, designed an experiment to test these claims. Dr. Tetri and his team fed a group of mice the nutritional equivalent of a fast-food diet over a period of 16 weeks. This pattern of consumption not only resulted in dire health consequences for the mice, but it also seemed to have impacted their eating preferences and food-seeking behaviors.

From a biological point of view, the fast-food-eating mice suffered from ailments ranging from fatty accumulations on the liver to early-stage diabetes. Perhaps even more disturbingly, however, the fast-food-eating mice soon began to overeat past the point of fullness at every meal time, while their counterparts who were being fed a normal, healthy diet did not do so. According to Tetri and his team, these results may have grave implications for patients attempting to incorporate even moderate fast-food consumption into a healthy lifestyle.

New Shots May Provide Help With Targeted Weight Loss

Doctors and fitness experts have long told their patients that it?s impossible to lose weight in just your problem areas. In order to achieve your ideal shape, it has long been counseled, you have to lose weight everywhere, usually by following a diet and fitness regimen.

However, one recent study suggests that there may be hope for men and women who are more concerned with unsightly fat in just a few trouble spots. A team of scientists led by Dr. Zofia Zukowska of Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. were able to use targeted doses of a substance known as neuropeptide Y to reduce fat in certain areas, and encourage its growth in other areas. The procedure could be used to develop new cosmetic surgery techniques in the future, Zukowska noted.

Stress Can Be Directly Related to Weight Gain, Study Finds

Although it has long been assumed that stress and anxiety can promote a tendency toward obesity, the results of a study recently published in the prestigious journal Nature offered a strong confirmation of this supposition. According to the authors, mice who were subjected to stressful conditions developed a strong craving for foods high in carbohydrates.

In addition, the same chemical compound that caused the cravings also helped convert the excess calories eaten by stressed-out mice into fat deposits centered around the stomach area. In humans, belly fat is the most dangerous pattern of weight gain, linked with a wide variety of ailments and illnesses, including diabetes and heart disease. According to the authors, these findings underscore the importance of stress-relieving activities as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Be sure to check back each week for more of the weight loss, fitness, and diet news that can help you design and maintain your own healthy lifestyle.