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While obesity rates have increased in most age groups in the United States, the biggest rise has been in older Americans.
According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), 37.1% of men and 33.6% of women aged 60 years and older classify as being obese. In this same age range, the rates of being classified as overweight are 78.4% for men and 68.6% for women.
A Syracuse University research study done a few years ago and conducted over an 8-year period with 10,000 seniors, found that obese seniors were 50% more likely to have a fall — and nearly 40% more likely to suffer long-term injury as a result.
This is because obesity is linked to muscle weakness, leg pain, cognitive and balance deficits, and vitamin D deficiency, that collectively increases fall risk. Excess body fat also increases osteoporosis risk, making overweight fall victims more prone to broken bones.
The NCOA states that falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans. A third of seniors fall annually, resulting in as many as 20,000 deaths per year.
While every fall cannot be prevented, losing weight is one of the steps an overweight senior can take. Doing so will not only improve balance, but also protect against a range of age-related ailments, such as heart disease, dementia, incontinence, and macular degeneration.
