Losing weight

I have good news for those who are obese. Do you know that it is common to start losing weight as you age. Let me paraphrase that. Do you know that it is common for people to experience some weight loss as they age, especially after the age of 60. .Although it is usually gradual and not necessarily a cause for alarm unless it is rapid or so very significant. 

   Let me use, myself as an example. I am in my early 70s. I noticed that most of the trousers  that I wore 10 to 15 years ago, especially the suit trousers I bought from USA and UK are now loose on my waist, that I have to shift the belt – holes tightly to hold them on. My waist used to be 40 inches but now  37 to 38 inches. If I were not a doctor, I would have panicked. 

   As people age they naturally experience decline in lean body mass (muscle and bone density), which can lead to a slight decrease in overall weight. The process by which the body converts food into energy, called metabolism, can also slow down with age, potentially, making it harder to maintain weight.

   Total body weight usually peaks around age 60 with small decrease of 0.5 to one kg loss per year till 70. Men often gain weight until about 55 and then begin to lose weight later in life, potentially due to a drop in testosterone. Women usually gain weight until age 65 and then begin to lose weight. While some weight loss is natural, significant or rapid weight loss (5 percent or more of body weight in 6- 12 months) in older adults can be a cause of concern and may indicate an underlying health issue.

   People who deliberately want to lose weight, should know that excess input over output equals fat. And you cannot do much about energy wastage, either input or output. All you can control is what you eat and what you do. Your total energy intake, total output needs.To get slim, you must eat less and/or do more. If your activity is already moderate, it will be hard for you to do more without eating more. But, if you are overweight, your activity is probably well below moderate. Some studies of overweight people suggest that, in fact, they eat less than others – but do much less.

   Many overweight people would like to escape the choice of eating less or doing more. They try to blame something else outside their control: their heavy bones, their heavy family, their hormones, even their body water level. But variations in bone density cannot account for more than about 3 kg weight difference. 

   Though overweight does “run in families”, it may be due more, to acquired eating habits than genetic factors. Hormonal malfunctions can cause obesity, in very rare cases, but these show themselves clearly in other bodily symptoms. The body water level is very well regulated except in very hot weather and in some illnesses. Besides even if a person had heavy bones, an inherited tendency to heaviness, hormonal  malfunction and too much water in his body, he would still lose weight if he ate less and got more exercise. In fact, hormonal disorders are often the product of obesity, so a sufferer who slims, loses the disorder. Losing weight is not easy. It demands controlled eating habits, discipline, patience and a change of attitude.

Before you start planning to lose weight

Do not be tempted by any promise of easy weight loss – there are no miracles. Adopt a definite diet plan and stick to it. If you need advice, get it from your doctor. Once weight is lost, keep a constant check, and deal with small gains as they occur. Ignore any claims that you can lose weight by drinking less or more fluid, taking less salt, drinking coffee, eating citrus fruit, because they “convert fat into energy.” That eating eggs will help you lose weight, because eggs use up more calories than they contain or that eating heavy meals will help so as to “avoid nibbling in between.” That adding lemon juice or vinegar or vegetable juice to your normal diet, or changing from sugar to honey or glucose or eating some kinds of fat and not others, that is, as a way of losing weight, rather than as a measure against heart disease. Ignore all these. 

   Also ignore advice to take “diet pills” or Turkish baths, use weight reducing garments or skin preparations, or have hormone injections or massage.

Low calorie plans

To set a numerical limit to daily calorie intake, constant reference has to be made to calorie tablets – this is quite distracting or low-carbohydrate plans which only limit carbohydrate. Even if fat is unrestricted making the diet more palatable and socially acceptable, all these regimented protocols on weight loss are not advisable. Certain things may help but are not necessarily advisable. Prescribed drugs, such as amphetamines, can reduce appetites, but are addictive. Substitute meals with wafers or packaged foods have a stated calorie content and often contain cellulose to give a fuller feeling in the stomach. Substitute foods include saccharin for sugar, skim milk and some breads and crisp breads contain low calories per slice but also less ‘feeling.

Saccharin and skim milk may be useful. Otherwise none gives a sensible basis for future eating.

Exercise is very advisable. Alone it will not reduce your weight significantly. But it increases the sense of well-being that dieting brings, and it usually reduces the appetite and stimulates the body to burn up surplus energy. Also exercise, for instance at lunchtime, can replace a meal by taking blood away from the stomach and by making the same kind of pleasant break from work that meal does. It is best to aim to lose weight steadily over a long period. Constant yo-yo weight changes are as bad as overweight. Certain medical conditions like heart disease, cancer, or kidney disease, can affect appetite and lead to weight loss.

Some medications can cause weight loss as a side effect. Some have difficulty with food preparations or limited access to nutritious food that can also contribute to weight loss. Older adults, can still maintain a healthy weight through a combination of healthy eating, regular exercise, and addressing any underlying health issues or social factors that may be contributing to weight loss. As I mentioned earlier, many factors can contribute to your clothes fitting a little looser as you get older. Most of these are social, psychological, and medical reasons including cancer, stomach or intestinal disease, depression, dementia, diabetes or other endocrine disorders, heart problems, alcoholism, kidney disease, side effects of medications financial issues, problems with finding nutritious food or feeding oneself, not getting enough food. So whatever happens, if one starts losing weight rapidly, even if it is desirous please consult your doctor. Always be medically guided.

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