Eating
a balanced mix of foods every day has many health benefits. We know
that good nutrition may reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2
diabetes, bone loss, some kinds of cancer, and anemia. If you already
have one or more of these chronic diseases, eating well and being
physically active may help you better manage them. Eating well gives you
the nutrients needed to keep your muscles, bones, organs, and other
parts of your body healthy throughout your life. These nutrients include
vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fats, and water. This is
important for all ages but especially seniors. It’s never too late
to start.
Obesity is a growing problem in the United States, and that includes older people . But frailty is also a problem, and not just in thin people. Being overweight puts you more at risk for frailty and disability.
Just losing weight is not necessarily the answer. That’s because sometimes when older people lose weight, they lose even more muscle than they already have lost from aging. That puts them at greater risk for becoming frail and that may mean falls. They also might lose bone strength and be at more risk for a broken bone after a fall. Exercise helps you keep muscle and bone.
Consuming the right number of calories for your level of physical activity helps you control your weight too. Eating more calories than your body needs for your activity level will lead to extra pounds. Although activity levels may decrease for most people as they age, there are many exercise programs geared to seniors in our communities. Seniors need to decrease their calorie intake if there is decreased activity.
So the take-away is that no matter your age, watching your calorie intake, the kind of foods you eat and exercising is important; however it becomes absolutely critical in the later stages of life.
