Dr. Bouchonville explained that this study was undertaken because the appropriate treatment for obese older adults has been controversial. Until now, some have argued that it’s prohibitively difficult to achieve lasting weight loss in this population because of unhealthy diet habits and a sedentary lifestyle. It has also been asserted that weight loss in the elderly could worsen frailty by accelerating age-related loss of muscle mass.
It is essential to determine the best evidence-based approach to the treatment of obese older adults because it is a population growing by leaps and bounds, he stressed. The Census Bureau estimates that 20% of the U.S. population will be age 65 years or older by 2030, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that by then 42% of Americans will be obese.
The clinical trial was funded by the National Institutes of Health. The presenter reported having no financial conflicts.