What Can You Do to Help Your Elderly Loved One Manage Her Weight?

Elderly Care in Needham MA

Your loved one might find herself frustrated about toting around a few extra pounds that she just can’t seem to get rid of on her own. Depending on her health conditions, those few extra pounds could make a big difference.

Talk to Her Doctor about Her Weight

Before you make any changes, make sure that you talk with your loved one’s doctor. He can determine if she’s actually gaining too much weight and the proper course of action. He may need to clear your loved one for a specific type of exercise and he’s a great source of information for the right diet to try. Once your loved one’s doctor rules out medical conditions, you’re ready to start formulating a plan to manage her weight.

Start a Regular Plan for Exercise

Your loved one doesn’t have to start an aggressive exercise plan in order to benefit from it. Even light exercise, like a walk around the block every day, can give your loved one excellent benefits. Make sure that you keep your loved one’s exercise within the ranges deemed safe by her doctor and find something that your loved one enjoys doing.

Choose a Healthy Diet

Fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains all make the basis of a healthy diet for your loved one. If you need a little extra help switching your loved one over to a healthier way of eating, consider talking to a nutritionist or a dietitian to get the best advice. Sometimes your loved one just needs one tiny change in order to get better nutrition from her food.

Look at Her Caloric Intake

As your loved one ages, she may not need as many calories to keep her body running well. In that case, it may not be the foods your loved one is eating, but how much food she’s eating that is the culprit. Start keeping a food diary for a week or two to get a better idea of how much food she’s eating to see if her caloric intake might be a little too high.

Source
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC552892/
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2015/01/21/best-diets-for-seniors