The necessity of weight reduction among old people - Essay Example

The necessity of weight reduction among old people Introduction It is a fact that our body becomes weaker as we approach the end of life or old age. It is also not possible to deny the fact that disease becomes more common to the old people than the younger generation. However this doesn’t mean that aging is the cause of disease or that disease is inevitable. The concern to increase the number of disability free life expectancy years relies on preventing, postponing or minimizing the risk of disease and generally improving the health of the older population. Weight reduction and improved nutrition can help old people in preventing many diseases. For example, diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart problems etc are common among old people. These diseases can be controlled or prohibited with the help of weight reduction and improved nutrition. However, some structural, personal and professional barriers prevent older people from taking precautionary measures against diseases. This paper briefly analyses how the structural, personal and professional barriers can be overcame by old people in their attempt to get rid of diseases through Weight Reduction and Improved Nutrition. Weight Reduction and Improved Nutrition Lack of nutrition education, lack of access to nutritionists, limited resources, limited facilities for physical work outs etc are some of the structural barriers faced by old people in improving their nutrition and weight reduction (Taiseale and Chandler, 2010, p.119). Old people should get lessons to understand the necessities of balanced diet for keeping sound health from the healthcare professionals. It is quite possible that old people may visit the hospital at some point of time. The healthcare professionals should take this opportunity to make them aware of the necessities of weight reduction and improving their food habits in order to maintain their health. Social workers should visit old people and educate them about the necessities of physical workouts and balanced diet. “Certainly most people who eat more and exercise less will increase their weight, but arriving at a state of overweight or obesity is a gradual process, taking place over many years of even only slight excess energy intake”(Grimaldi, 2007). Obesity has become a major public health problem all over the world. Lack of physical workouts and unhealthy food habits are the major reasons for obesity. Weight gain normally occurs gradually and people may not notice it until complications started develop. During childhood and adulthood, people may get more opportunities for physical workouts naturally. On the other hand, during the old age, people quite often stay away from physical workouts because of the physical and mental fatigue they may face during this period. Thus, old people fail to burn out the excessive fat contents from their body which may result in over weight related problems. “Previous studies have shown that obese individuals; may suffer from low self-esteem, tend to have a more negative self-image, may think that others dislike them, and may suffer from higher levels of depression than normal weight individuals” (Cline et al, p.2). Over weight may affect an old person both physically and mentally. High blood pressure, diabetics, cholesterol, heart problems are some of the physical problems associated with overweight. Lack of self esteem, depression, emotional problems etc is some of the psychological problems associated with overweight. “Food can often be comforting, especially for someone who is already obese, and obese individuals may have used food to comfort themselves over time. When they are depressed, eating food is the mechanism they use to cope” (Cline et al, p.10). Studies have shown that obese people eat more food when they are under depressed or tensed state against the traditional belief that a person under depressed mental state may lose the appetite for food. Over eating will make them more obese. A person who eats more will develop uncontrollable appetite for foods just like drug and alcohol addiction. Old people always have concerns about their future as they approach their end of life situations. The uncertainty about what will happen after death will always haunt them and may make them depressed. In order to escape from such depressive thought, old people may take more food and limit their physical activities. All these things can result in overweight related problems for them. “Despite being preventable and treatable, in the 21st Century, malnutrition remains a problem in the developed world and the nutritional needs of many older people in long-term care settings are not met” (Cowan et al, 2003). Many of the old people have the habit of eating whatever the food they are getting irrespective of their health problems. They may think that nothing can save them from facing the ultimate fate of death. Under such circumstances, many of the old people do not take much care about their food habits and physical workouts. Some old people may develop some appetite for some particular foods during their old age. For example, many of the old people like to take sweetly foods during their old age. These sweetly foods can generate lot of health problems which they may avoid in many cases. Foods containing more sugar and fat content may always create health problems during old age. In short, personal beliefs may play a vital role in an old person’s life in weight reduction and improving food habits. Some old people often complain that because of professional commitments, they are not getting enough time for physical workouts. For example, top management executives will always get less time for relaxation because of their lengthy work schedules. It is difficult for them to go for a walk or play some games in the day time because of their professional commitments. Such people can make use of physical workout equipments for burning out excessive fat contents from their body. Conclusions It is the duty of the healthcare professionals and social workers to educate the old people about the necessities of weight reduction and improving their nutrition in order to maintain their health in good condition. Old people should realize that majority of their health problems can be eliminated or controlled, if they put some efforts on to reduce their weight and improve their food habits. References 1. Cowanan D. T, Roberts J.D, Fitzpatrick J.M, While A.E, Baldwind J (2003). Nutritional status of older people in long term care settings: current status and future directions. International Journal of nursing studies. Abstract only. [Online] Available at: http://www.journalofnursingstudies.com/article/S0020-7489(03)00131-7/abstract [Accessed on 22 March 2011] 2. Cline K M. C., Rainey M. R., Ferraro K. F., & Smederovac R (2008) Does Weight Change Lead to Higher Levels of Depression for Obese Individuals? [Online] Available at: http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p240652_index.html [Accessed on 22 March 2011] 3. Grimaldi,K.A (2007). Improved weight management using genetic information to personalize a calorie controlled diet. Nutrition Journal 2007, 6:29 doi:10.1186/1475-2891-6-29 4. Taiseale T and Chandler C, (2010). Nutrition and overweight: Concerns in rural areas. [Online] Available at: http://srph.tamhsc.edu/centers/rhp2010/09Volume2nutrition.pdf [Accessed on 22 March 2011] Read More