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Review
. 2018 Jan;102(1):65-85.
doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.007. Epub 2017 Oct 21.

Addressing Obesity in Aging Patients

Affiliations
Review

Addressing Obesity in Aging Patients

John A Batsis et al. Med Clin North Am. 2018 Jan.

Abstract

Obesity in older adults affects not only morbidity and mortality but, importantly, quality of life and the risk of institutionalization. Weight loss interventions can effectively lead to improved physical function. Diet-alone interventions can detrimentally affect muscle and bone physiology and, without interventions to affect these elements, can lead to adverse outcomes. Understanding social and nutritional issues facing older adults is of utmost importance to primary care providers. This article will also discuss the insufficient evidence related to pharmacotherapy as well as providing an overview of using physiologic rather than chronologic age for identifying suitable candidates for bariatric surgery.

Keywords: Bariatric surgery; Obesity; Older adult; Pharmacotherapy; Physical function; Review; Weight loss.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Projected Elderly Population Aged 65 years and older (represented as percentages) in the United States based on the 2010 Census and Future Projections
Data from United States Census Bureau. 2010 Census Data. Available at: https://www.census.gov/2010census/data/. Accessed Jan 20 2013.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Prevalence of Obesity in ages 60 years and older using National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys over the past 4 decades based on body mass index. Current estimates indicate that obesity is present in men in 37.5% and 39.4% in females in the population
Data from Flegal KM, Kruszon-Moran D, Carroll MD, et al. Trends in Obesity Among Adults in the United States, 2005 to 2014. JAMA 2016;315(21):2284–2291.

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