Unintentional weight loss is one of the major threats for seniors. Though unintentional weight loss is quite common in seniors, always keeping an eye on it is much safer. Seniors tend to lose weight due to many common reasons like recent sickness, loss of their loved ones, improper intake of food, etc. But there always exists a reason behind everything that's how this unintentional weight loss works too. Doctors always recommend monitoring weight is highly essential in seniors as it could be a sign of an issue.
Unintentional weight loss as the name defines is something that happens with any effort. Often this unintentional weight loss happens due to malnutrition in seniors. Recent reports reveal that about 37% of seniors are being diagnosed with malnutrition. Therefore it is important to monitor senior’s weight loss. Here are several other reasons why that's important,
Malnutrition may be due to Health issues - which need to be treated and taken care of.
Malnutrition might weaken their body - which paves the way to unwanted sickness and injuries due to falls.
Therefore a better way to get rid of all this trouble is to monitor their weight loss on time.
Monitoring senior’s unintentional weight loss can be done by checking their weight once in a month.
Their family members can just check their weight and compare it with the previous records and Note down the changes.
By keeping a record of previous weight checkups will be helpful while comparing with that of the new values.
A Drastic change in weight indicates an imbalance in the weight. Which should be informed to the physician and necessary measures can be taken.
Common Causes of unintentional weight loss :
Health and Mental issues: There are various health issues responsible for this unintentional weight loss like,
Stress and Depression - 3 out of 5 seniors are facing unintentional weight loss due to this factor. Which happens to be a serious threat among seniors. Depression in seniors can be due to various reasons like financial issues, loss of their loved ones, isolation, etc. Those seniors who face depression can initially consult with a psychologist. As their depression or stress reduces automatically their weight loss would gradually decrease.
Hormonal imbalance - Health issues like diabetes, thyroid which happens due to imbalance in their hormones might cause unintentional weight loss. They initially work on treating their hormonal imbalance and can gradually reduce unintentional weight loss.
Alcohol addiction: Alcoholism is the major issue in many seniors. Which not only causes lung dysfunction it also causes weight loss.
Side effects due to Medication: Certain Medications on consuming regularly can cause weight loss unintentionally as a side effect.
GIT infection: Those seniors who have GIT infection might find it hard to chew and swallow food which eventually reduces the amount of food consumed. Which causes weight loss in them.
There are various other general factors that cause unintentional weight loss in seniors like,
Improper care/ attention: Certain seniors have an issue of being offered only a little food i.e lesser than the amount of food required for older adults. These may be due to family problems where the family members might show very little care for their health. This happens not only in families but also in old age homes, where they might not be given proper care towards their nutrition.
Financial issues: There are a lot of older adults who are financially unstable to spend on healthy and nutritious food. There is a heavy population of older adults who have only one meal a day. These may also cause weight loss.
How to get rid of unintentional weight loss:
The first and foremost of all treatments available for controlling unintentional weight loss is Monitoring the weight loss of seniors monthly. When you approach a doctor (or), physician, after finding the unstable weight loss they might prescribe you medications (or) lifestyle changes. For elderly people who don't have access o reliable healthcare services, a home doctor visit is the best choice where more personalized care is provided at the comfort of their home. Upon all, it's all in your hands no one can control your body other than you. Therefore, love the food you consume, consume food at proper time intervals, Do not stress on anything. When the change begins in your heart, your body automatically will start to change.
Author: Team 60Plus India
Keywords: unintentional weight loss, weight loss, weight, food, doctor, seniors, health.
Tags: #seniors #weightloss #weight #unntentionalweightloss #elderly #depression #food #nutrition #diet
