Obesity - Ages 65+

Obesity - Ages 65+ in Arkansas

Arkansas

Adults with obesity are at increased risk of developing serious health conditions, such as hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, sleep apnea and breathing problems, osteoarthritis, certain cancers, and mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. Research suggests that the strength of the association between obesity and mortality risk increases with age, making obesity among older adults an area of particular concern.

Contributing factors for obesity include behaviors such as poor diet and physical inactivity, certain health conditions, genetic predisposition and environmental elements like neighborhood safety, food access and infrastructure.

The estimated health care costs of obesity in the United States were $172.74 billion in 2019. Beyond direct medical costs, the indirect costs of decreased productivity tied to obesity are estimated at an additional $8.65 billion per year.

The prevalence of obesity is higher among:

• Older Hispanic, Black, American Indian/Alaska Native and white adults compared with older Asian adults.
• Older adults with less than a high school education compared with college graduates.
• Older adults with an annual household income of less than $25,000 compared with those with annual household incomes of $75,000 or more.
• Older adults living in non-metropolitan areas compared with those in metropolitan areas.

Key strategies for decreasing and preventing obesity target individual behaviors as well as environmental factors. Successful interventions include:

• Creating community-based physical activity programs to help older adults maintain regular, multicomponent exercise as recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services.
• Encouraging older adults to eat a healthy diet high in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean protein and limit intake of sugary and fatty foods.
• Improving access to healthy foods in neighborhoods and care facilities.
• Tailoring weight loss diets to older adults’ nutritional needs and particular health risks.
• Providing individualized support and dietary suggestions, ideally maintained through a consistent patient-physician relationship.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides further useful resources for community-level interventions and healthy living tips designed to prevent obesity.

Healthy People 2030 includes several weight-related goals, including reducing the overall proportion of adults with obesity and increasing the proportion of health care visits by adults with obesity that include counseling on weight loss, nutrition or physical activity.

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U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of and Health and Human Services. “Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.” Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, December 2020. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition.” Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018. https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf.