One-Size-Fits-All Weight Loss Doesn't Benefit All Older Adults

The U.S. National Institute on Aging has awarded Wake Forest University researchers a grant to study why some older adults' mobility does not improve after losing weight, reports Wake Forest News . "We know obesity is a risk factor for reduced physical function," says Wake Forest's Kristen Beavers. "And on average, when older adults with obesity lose weight, they can typically get out of a chair a little easier and walk a little faster. But within that 'average,' there is always a subset of folks who don't improve, or who even show declines in physical function." Analysis of gait speed determined about 25 percent of older adults who lost what would be considered a clinically meaningful amount of weight did not improve their walking speed. The study aims to better gauge the risk/benefit ratio by ascertaining predictors of an older adult improving or not improving in physical function after a standard weight-loss course. Afterwards, interventions would be designed to extract the maximum benefit for each group. "The strength of a large dataset like this is that we can look at many participant characteristics to identify the 'type' of person most — and least — likely to benefit from a weight-loss intervention," said Wake Forest's Daniel Beavers.