USC Study Connects Obesity and Physical Functioning in Older People
A USC study published in the journal Obesity this month found that a combination of low muscle mass and obesity can cause major physical functioning problems in older people.
The study surveyed 2,287 people over the age of 60, who had not been diagnosed with diabetes. It tested physical functioning with tasks such as crouching, kneeling and standing for long periods of time and found that physical functioning problems were 91 percent higher in those who were both obese and had low muscle mass in comparison to those who were just obese.
The reasoning behind the results is likely connected to the side effects of being obese. Excess body weight tends to cause pain in muscles and joints, which makes people less likely to live an active lifestyle.
There is also a relationship between obesity and insulin resistance, which helps to supply muscle and energy to the body. The study found that subjects with low muscle mass had 35 percent higher insulin resistance than those who were just obese.
The study's authors aim to highlight the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle during younger years in order to prevent problems such as obesity and low muscle mass throughout the aging process.
Jordan Hoese, a freshman at USC, agrees with the discovered correlation.
"I definitely think it's important to take care of your body when you're young. Not only are you forming habits that will benefit you for the rest of your life, but exercise is also physiologically important at a young age," Hoese said.
The manner in which we take care of ourselves in our youth, and as we age, has wider implications as well, especially concerning the cost of healthcare.
Canon, the lead author of the study, is hopeful about its impact.
"If we understand the mechanisms behind this, we may be able to intervene earlier," he said. "We can change this trajectory."
I am a family poeatitirncr who is obese and has been obese all my life. I am currently planning a talk on treating family obesity and that's how I came across your blog. Actually I can see the validity in both points of view. As a patient I was always told that I should lose weight, but never really given any actually help. Over the last 9 months I have lost about 50lbs because I finally became motivated to try to work on my weight regardless of what was going on around me or what stressors came my way. I try to take time to counsel my overweight/obese patients, but it only helps when they are at a point where they see their weight as a problem that they ware willing to face long term. Most times patients want a miracle pill or special 30-day diet and do not really want to change habits that the have had for years. An additional problem is that obesity treatment takes time to discern the problem and what the pt has tried in the past and what options are available-all in an environment where insurance companies do not want to reimburse for Obesity visits. I have found that as an obese physician who has had some success in losing weight I have been a sensitive ear for my patients and a good motivator. I do not pretend to be perfect, but sometimes it especially angers me when I se obese children (like the 54lb 2-year old-totally different subject). Usually I don't respond to bogs, but I just felt compelled to add my 2 cents to this one.Plus Sized MD