Are you trying to lose a few books? If you are over 65, your health may be better to stay at your current weight or earn more, said a former health secretary.
Lady Patricia Hewitt, 76, who was a health secretary from 2005 to 2007, advised people to have an additional “buffer zone” to prevent fragility and illness in old age.
She shared the advice after being hospitalized with severe dehydration during her vacation in Australia, where doctors told her about the concept of “geriatric BMI” (that a healthy BMI for the elderly is higher than that of young people).
Lady Patricia had weighed 7th 11 lb (50 kg) when he was hospitalized and counted “Jolly Luck” in the past that she had not gained weight easily. But doctors told him to win almost 2nd to protect his health in the future. “What is a healthy weight for you as you age, especially if you are a woman, is almost certainly higher than you think,” she said Time.
How can you know if you need to gain weight and what are the risks of being thin as we age? Experts share their ideas.
What is “BMI of old age”?
Body mass index (BMI) is a blunt measure to know if an adult is a healthy weight for his size.
It is calculated by dividing the weight (in kilograms) by height (in square meters). A BMI less than 18.5 indicates that someone is under-noise, a healthy weight (18.5 to 24.9), overweight (25 to 29.9), obese (30 to 39.9) or seriously obese (40 or more). Although it provides a useful indication, it has limitations and research suggests that these categories are limited to over 65s.
“We rightly mean health Obesity problemsAnd of course, obesity is a very important challenge for our country, but we also know that people with a low BMI have less good health results, “said Professor Jugdeep Dhesi, a geriatricity consultant in Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and President of the British Gariatrics Society.
“A healthy BMI for the elderly is between 23 and 30 years old (which includes overweight and obese BMI categories), rather than the usual 18 to 25 that we would use for young people,” she explains.
“Most geriatricians and all those who work with the elderly know this, but it is not as widely recognized by the wider public,” explains Professor Roy Soiza, a geriatrician consultant in Aberdeen Royal Infimary.
“At a younger age, being thin and alive is considered healthy, but when you arrive at an old age, it is no longer true. A BMI of about 30 years, perhaps even a little more (classified as obese), that we would consider unhealthy in a young person, is OK with an elderly person.”
It is because of the so-called “paradox of longevity”, that the elderly overweight, especially women, live longer than their thinner peers, noted Dame Patricia in her letter to Time.
A paper Recommended that elderly women can benefit from a BMI of 31 to 32 (classified as obese) and men should target 27 to 28 (in the overweight category) to reduce their risk of falling and falling muscle mass.
What are the risks of being too thin as we age?
Falls are one of the most common injuries in the elderly, causing more than 100,000 hip fractures and 5,000 deaths per year, and an additional weight can ensure protection against fractured and broken bones.
“The biggest risk with the falls is fractured hips. Having more insulation is certainly useful, ”says Professor Ouizi. Once in the hospital, research shows that the elderly can lose up to 10% of their muscle mass in a week, which can lead to the deterioration of their health.
Having a low BMI – under 23 for those over 65 – can also increase the risk of disability, reduce your independence and shorten life expectancy, explains Professor Dhesi.
Fragility is another concern linked to a low BMI as we age. “If you are fragile, this means that a relatively minor disease such as a urinary tract infection or a minor fall can have a serious impact on the health and well-being of a person,” notes Clare Thornton-Wood, a dietitian and a spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association.
“In the lower range of a normal BMI, we will see people who involuntarily lose weight and become fragile and they will be very sensitive to things like cancer and infections,” adds Professor Soiza. “They are more likely to have things like sarcopenia, therefore age -related muscle loss. Overall, it is a characteristic of being less healthy and robust. ”
How to gain weight healthy
“If an elderly person notices his weight down, the logical thing to do is trying to eat more to compensate and try to maintain good weight,” explains Professor Ouizi, who is also an honorary president of the aging clinical and experimental research group (ACER) at the University of Aberdeen.
If you have to gain weight, Thornton-Wood recommends turn to snacks. Cheese and crackers, full nuts and Greek yogurt are both rich in calories and protein, she notes.
There are also a few tips to add calories to your food. “Remember to add cheese or full yogurt or fresh cream as a soup or butter and cheese garnish to crush the potatoes,” she said. “Stir a teaspoon of olive oil through sauces like the Bolognais or on salads.”
“If you can manage slightly larger portions, which is beneficial – gradually increase if you need them,” adds Thornton -Wood.
Do not turn to fatty and transformed foods, says Professor Dhesi. “We know that these are not good for you,” she notes.
It is also vital of Eat enough protein To maintain strong muscles, for all those over 65, not just those who seek to gain weight, says Professor Dhesi. It recommends 1 g of protein for each 1 kg of weight, which means that a woman of 60 kg should eat 60 g of protein per day.
“A egg has 6 g, a chicken breast has about 30 g, a glass of milk about 8 g and a cheese sandwich has about 20 g,” said Professor Dhesi.
However, for very advanced people, there is no good or bad way to gain weight, says Professor Onizi. “The main thing is simply to keep your weight if you can and how you do, if you like your fish and fries and your chocolate or ice, then go.”
Although it is important to pay attention to where you have an additional weight, notes Professor Dhesi. “Having a large size is not good for you and indicates that you probably wear too much fat rather than muscle,” she says. “For women, it's a size of more than 35 inches, for men, it's a size of more than 40 inches.”
Professor ONIZA recommends not to turn to drinks or supplements rich in calories, because there is “reasonably good evidence than it is not better than just eating more of what you like and simply having a healthy and balanced diet is probably better”.
The exercise is also essential to gain weight, says Professor Dhesi. “We know that it helps develop your muscle mass, and that muscle mass contributes to your weight,” she explains.
If you are not used to being active, she recommends going from the session to the position of your chair, several times a day, is a good starting point, just as the stairs go up and go out for a walk.
“But if you can push yourself a little louder, try resistance training,” she said. “Use a few bags of sugar or a few dumbbells, if you have them, to really develop muscles, both in your arms and in your legs too.”
“Any exercise is good – it's the closest to a panacea we have,” said Professor Oniz. He recommends those who imply a social interaction, such as team sports and dance. “But the important thing is to exercise and stay active. Absolutely how you do this, it doesn't matter,” he adds.
