Weight Loss Causes Elderly
Aging is generally accompanied by weight loss made up of both fat mass and fat free mass.
Weight loss causes elderly. Depression cancer heart disease and medications may be causes among others. Unintentional weight loss i e more than a 5 reduction in body weight within six to 12 months occurs in 15 to 20 of older adults and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality 1 in. As a caregiver or family member here are some of the possible causes of weight loss to explore with your older relative and their doctor.
The leading causes of involuntary weight loss are depression especially in residents of. Unexplained weight loss has many causes medical and nonmedical. Elderly people lose weight for many reasons.
5 common causes of weight loss in seniors. In fact according to a report in american family physician unintentional weight loss which is defined as dropping more than 5 percent of your body weight in six to 12 months occurs in 15 to 20 percent of older adults and is linked to an. According to the american family physician 16 28 percent of people experiencing unintended weight loss present with no easily identifiable cause.
But for some older adults unintentional weight loss causes medical problems. Sometimes a specific cause isn t found. Usually an unrecognized cancer will have other symptoms or abnormalities of laboratory tests in addition to unexplained weight loss.
Health risks are decreased in overweight children and adults by dieting and exercise but the health ben. Most medical professionals define unintentional weight loss as a 5 10 decrease in body weight over 1 to 12 months and more specifically a 5 loss over a 6 month period. As more people including elderly are overweight or obese weight loss is recommended to improve health.
You spend much of your life trying to keep your weight down but with age shedding pounds can be cause for concern rather than celebration. Often a combination of things results in a general decline in your health and a related weight loss. It might indicate an underlying condition.