Nutrition and Weight Control for Older Clients

As people age, their physiological needs change - and so should your fitness and diet recommendations.

"She says her No. 1 goal is to 'lose some weight around my middle,' but I am reluctant to encourage her in this area. She is close to 72 years old, and while she has some extra belly fat, her arms and legs are quite thin, and her fitness is fairly low. I think she should concentrate on building up her strength and muscle, and preventing bone loss. Maybe I can guide her to think about body composition rather than weight loss. She needs to see that weight loss for her would mean bone and muscle loss, which she can't afford to lose."

Many more older people are joining fitness centers. They have read that exercise can help slow the aging process and address their health concerns. Many have questions about weight loss and nutrition. You will need to answer these questions in a different manner from the way you might answer the same questions for your younger clients. Nutrition needs change with age, and weight-control recommendations are complicated by the physiology of the aging process.

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