Many surveys have documented being very overweight or being
underweight shortened our lives. So how do you achieve your perfect body
weight? It is often based on your age! A study was conducted by the
University of Western Australia and the results may surprise you. One of
their conclusions is that dieting may not benefit people in the senior
citizens age group. It is interesting when they point out that
regardless of your weight; sedentary lifestyle is what shortens lives.
What about the Body Mass Index of people in this age group? They
concluded that "those with a Body Mass Index which classed them as
overweight not only had the lowest overall risk of dying, they also had
the lowest risk of dying from specific diseases: cardiovascular disease,
cancer and chronic respiratory disease".
The overall death rate among the overweight group was similar to that
among those of normal weight. As we age, we become aware that it is not
as easy to lose weight compared to when we were younger. My mother was
going to her local gym at the age of 80 to increase her strength and
energy and she mostly ate salads, fruit and very little meat. She was
not aware that being overweight at her age could be good for her.
Before you start dancing in the streets, being overweight by 10-20
pounds for people in this age group is different than being obese by
20-30-40-50 pounds and above.!I know when I see a movie and my old
favorite actor gained weight I always think, and sometimes say out loud,
"good grief he/she has gotten so fat". My daughter would always say
"what do you expect of them, they are old". One of the problems of
accepting the aging process our body journeys through is that our brain
is not in touch with our bodies. We still believe we can achieve the
"model perfect" body we see and read about on television and magazines.
Our bodies say we are over 60 and our brain say we feel like we am still
in our 30 year old frame of mind.. We still believe we can achieve that
special look.
I know I do not like it when my doctors tell me to keep an extra
10-15 pounds on my body in case I get sick and unable to eat. My body
will have a reservoir. So, according to my age group, being 10-15 pounds
overweight is my best normal weight. We do see many elderly people who
are so underweight because they have just stopped eating meals - they
snack off and on throughout the day. They do not want to cook a hot
meal, sit down and eat by themselves at the table anymore. Underweight
people are just as unhealthy as obese people at any age. However, more
damaging when they age above 50 and 60 years.
It appears that it could be a mistake to encourage age 50 and older
people to go on a diet and lose weight. The important element here is to
make sure people in this age group are not just sitting around and
gaining more weight. Encourage people in this age group to get up, move
and go for a walk. The secret of aging is to keep active by moving and
do not get on the scales unless you are obese. The conclusion of this
study is being overweight may be less harmful for people in these age
groups.
I personally invite you to come to
http://www.livehealthybywalking.com.
Take action by signing up for updates. Get your free report on "What
Kind of Walker are You? 22 Different Walking Styles" at
[http://www.healthywalkinghelp.com]. I inspire people to live healthy by
walking and to develop a healthy lifestyle.
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