Overweight, Weight Loss, and Healthy Ageing: A Literature Review

This literature review examines the complex relationship between overweight, weight loss interventions, and healthy ageing, particularly focusing on the elderly population. The review synthesizes findings from multiple studies to understand the impact of obesity, defined as a BMI of 30.0 kg/m or higher, on the health of older adults, and explores various weight loss techniques, including calorie restriction and exercise. It highlights the prevalence of obesity in developed countries and its association with adverse health outcomes, emphasizing the need for effective interventions. The review discusses the controversies surrounding weight loss in the elderly, considering concerns about behavioral changes, muscle and bone loss, and long-term weight maintenance. It concludes that while a 10% weight loss can be achieved through calorie restriction and exercise, interventions must consider the potential loss of bone mineral density and skeletal muscle. The review emphasizes the need for further research to clarify the mechanisms of muscle and bone loss during weight loss and to assess the long-term effectiveness of weight management strategies in older adults. The review stresses the importance of exercise in weight loss and notes the importance of a balanced approach.

Running Head: Overweight, weight Loss and Healthy Ageing 1
Literature Review - Overweight, Weight loss and Ageing
Student’s Name
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Running Head: Overweight, weight Loss and Healthy Ageing 2
Abstract
Obesity or being overweight is defined as the body mass index (BMI) of the 30.0 kg / m or
higher. (Yang & Colditz 2015). Obesity in the elderly is prevalent in many developed countries
and is associated with a variety of adverse health effects, making it significant community health
goal for the intervention. Though, treatment of obesity in the elderly remains argumentative
because of apprehensions about behavioral changes with the age (Villareal et al. 2014). Purpose
of the literature review and appraisal is to analyze existing information on obesity and
systematically observe evidence for weight loss techniques, with an emphasis to obesity and
elderly population. To understand the benefits of healthy aging, the risks associated with obesity
and beneficial weight loss regimes in elderly. Findings from all the four articles and other
systematic reviews concluded that 10% of weight loss can be achieved by limiting calories and
exercising in inactive obese adults of age 65 and over. Though, by increasing exercise through
weight loss, the loss of the BMD could be reduced. Loss of the skeletal muscle as well as bone is
considered shared result in the weight losing (Batsis et al., 2017), and contemplate key
explanations for recommending the weight loss in ageing remains contentious.

Running Head: Overweight, weight Loss and Healthy Ageing 3
OVERWEIGHT, WEIGHT LOSS AND HEALTHY AGING
Introduction
Prevalence of the obesity, which is defined as the BMI (body mass index) of the 30.0 kg /
m or higher, is the community health problem for promptly increasing section of age 65 and the
older (Yang & Colditz 2015). Obesity in the elderly is prevalent in many developed countries
and is associated with a variety of adverse health effects, making it a significant community
health goal for the intervention. Though, management of obesity in the elderly remains
argumentative because of apprehensions about behavioural alter with age, aggravating age-
linked loss of the skeletal muscle as well as bone, and the probability of lasting weight
maintenance plus related health outcomes (Villareal et al. 2014).
Body
Purpose of the literature review and appraisal is to analyze existing information on
obesity and systematically observe evidence for weight loss techniques, with an emphasis on
obesity and the elderly population. To understand the benefits of healthy aging, the risks
associated with obesity and beneficial weight loss regimes in the elderly.
This literature review is particularly necessary based on the existing demographic tendencies. In
2012, there were probably 40 million adults above 65 age, accounting for 13% of US population
(Hruby & Hu, 2015). By the year 2030, older people are predicted to account for 20% of all
population. The life expectancy of old males and females with 65 years age in the United States
exceeds 15 years (Federal Inter-Agency Statistical Forum on Ageing, 2012).
In spite of prolonged life, several older people experience comorbidities as well as
functional limitations related to obesity. For instance, chronic health conditions commonly found
in people of 65 years age and older are generally associated with the obesity including elevated

Running Head: Overweight, weight Loss and Healthy Ageing 4
blood pressure, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes; 19% of men in
addition to 30% of women report failure to perform certain physical functions (Hruby, & Hu,
2015). Obesity in the elderly is predominant around the world and is related to poor health
consequences. As more and more baby boomers become older, the prevalence of obesity
increases significantly amongst older adults. In the past 30 years, the amount of obese elderly has
doubled-up. This makes evident both the increase in the older population as well as the
percentage of obesity in the elderly. It also increased significantly to 22.2% of obese elderly
stated in National Review of 1988-1994 (NHANES).
At present, the per capita expenditure of obesity attributable to health insurance recipients
is greater than that of young people (Finkelstein et al., 2019). There is surely no uncertainty that
unless action is taken to converse this trend, more and more obese older people will face public
health challenges.The increased risk of death in overweight elderly people who are lower than
usual weight. Improved survival in obese geriatric population has been confirmed from many
epidemiological studies (Flagel et al., 2013). However, these conclusions are still in scientific as
well as governmental controversy (Hughes, 2013). Numerous explanations have been raised for
the alleged obesity contradiction of the elderly, including additional weight could be protective
throughout the disease, obese people may die at an earlier age, there is a risk balance throughout
life, methodology and Confusion can work.
The link between obesity and a variety of death-related diseases has been well
documented. However, most studies have not been conducted in the elderly population. A
current paper published in Journal of the Gerontology concluded that evidence that obesity is
related with the risk of the elderly is mixed, feeble or non-existing for several illnesses (Canning

Running Head: Overweight, weight Loss and Healthy Ageing 5
et al., 2014). Hence it is speculated that although comorbidities increase with age, the injurious
effects of obesity may occur previously.
Regarding practical standing, recent data have shown that obesity is linked with augmented bone
inert thickness, in addition, reduced risk of the osteoporosis along with hip fracture. Instead,
obesity is related to decreased activity, increased hazard of weakness (specifically associated
with fatigue and strength) and increased demand for lengthy-term care (related to augmented
obesity in sarcopenia). If obesity leads to restricted activity, obesity may affect the quality of life
of the elderly. Finally, the situation is that when elderly people lose weight (intentional or not),
they excessively lose a larger share of the muscle mass (Newman et al., 2015).
It is difficult to lose weight, and it cannot be assumed that interventions for young people
can be converted into groups of people with comorbidities, low muscle mass and weakness.
Appropriate treatment of obesity remains controversial because the shortage of evidence-based
information suggests that the long-term loss of weight is valuable or destructive in this group of
age. There is still evidence that the adults of age 65 or older can successfully lose weight (Shah
et al., 2019). However, in addition to fat mass, the weight-loss trial also reported loss of the lean
body mass as well as bone mineral density (Bales, 2018). Despite enhancements in the body
composition, body metabolism, and cardiovascular considerations associated with weight loss, so
these negative consequences have prevented many geriatric therapists from recommending
weight loss to the obese elder patients.
Given that positive functional as well as metabolic consequences, it is rather surprising
that the losing weight in geriatrics is still recommended in the medicinal community. A
complicating factor that confuses risk with the benefits of deliberated weight loss is lacking in
human research to clarify the mechanisms related to muscle and bone loss. There is also a lack of

Running Head: Overweight, weight Loss and Healthy Ageing 6
suitable follow-up trials to evaluate behaviour associated with the long-term conservation of
weight loss (Hruby et al., 2016).
In addition, calorie restriction offers some benefits, especially in weight loss, as well as fat mass.
Losing weight is not itself the utmost primary result. Some readings observed the link among
weight loss to better health outcomes (specifically cardiac metabolic disease risk as well as
functional status) in addition found a favourable association (although thin body mass plus bone
mineral density reduced) (Locher et al., 2016).
This might be because of comparative improvement in the proportion of the higher
muscles, a reduction in systemic inflammation and a reduction in the mechanical liability of
obesity. Calorie limitation might be helpful in the short term, particularly for the obese older
people at danger of cardiac metabolic disease or physical injury (Nicklas et al., 2015). Evidence
on the long-term interest risk profile remains uncertain.
Consumption of fewer calories, as well as regular physical activities, are significant
elements in effective weight loss (Waters et al., 2013). Previous readings on weight regulation
behaviour have presented that people who try losing weight create adverse energy balances by
eating to the smaller amount or increasing intensity of physical activity. However, most people,
particularly those who try losing weight, mostly do not act according to recommended
guidelines. Enter as well as participate in a combination of leisureliness physical activities of ≥
150 minutes/week. Though, current research shows that older people who try losing weight
generally have a healthier diet as well as a physical activity than those who do not have the risk
of losing weight, irrespective of poor physical and mental health issues (Lee Jung Sun et al.,
2014).

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In particular, increasing exercise is the most unpopular strategy in elderly for losing weight as
well as very diverse from the type of willingness to lose weight. Older people interested in
weight loss possibly have higher levels of general body movements, especially higher-intensity
exercise, than those who do not. (Jura, 2016). This model is not essentially parallel to the
existing public health strategies, which indicate that the amount of the activity is further
important than a particular way of performing an activity (i.e., the mode, the intensity and
interval of the activity). Preceding readings have shown whether the kind, duration as well as the
intensity of the exercise can lead to weight loss in addition, differences in lean and fat mass
changes (Djalalinia, Qorbani, Peykari, & Kelishadi, 2015).
Conclusion
To conclude, the evidence confirms that about 10% of weight can be loss by limiting
calories and exercising in inactive, obese adults of age 65 and over. Though, by increasing
exercise through weight loss, the loss of the BMD could be reduced. Loss of the skeletal muscle,
as well as the bone, is considered shared result in the weight losing (Batsis et al., 2017), and
contemplate key explanations for recommending the weight loss in ageing remains contentious.
However, because of improvement in great baseline BMD as well as body function in addition to
metabolic considerations with the weight loss, scientific relevance of the above mentioned
adverse effect is still too discovered.

Running Head: Overweight, weight Loss and Healthy Ageing 8
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