Study: Obese Elderly Need to Diet, Exercise

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine is dispelling the belief that exercise can cause the elderly to lose muscle and bone mass. Instead, the researchers are recommending that obese residents over age 65 participate in a diet and exercise program to improve their overall health and well-being.

The study's participants were divided into three groups. One group was on a resticted-calorie diet. The second group was on the same diet, but also participated in 90-minute exercise routines three times a week. Members of the third group, a control group, did not diet or exercise. Participants in the group that both dieted and exercised lost an average of 9 percent of their body weight while retaining lean body mass, increasing oxygen consumption and improving their strength and balance. The diet-only group also lost weight, but they didn't see similar overall improvements in their health. Members of the control group did not lose weight or show any physical improvements.

At least 20 percent of elderly people are obese, and that figure is expected to grow. Obesity worsens the age-related decline in physical function, which can cause frailty, impair quality of life and result in increased nursing home admissions.

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