Katherine B. Chauncey - Low-Carb Diet For Dummies

You fall into this age bracket if you’re a man older than 65 or a woman older than 75.

Most new heart disease events and most heart attack deaths occur in older adults. High blood cholesterol — especially high LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol — increases the risk for heart disease in older adults.

Your chances of developing high blood pressure increase with age. Information from the long-running Framingham Heart Study shows that a 55-year-old with normal blood pressure today has a 90 percent chance of developing high blood pressure in the next 25 years.

In the past, height and weight tables developed by insurance companies classified weights by frame size (small, medium, or large), with one table for men and one for women. BMI is now used as an assessment of body size. BMI looks at what people weigh and classifies their weight by degree of medical risk. The BMI is a close measurement of body fat in most people. The same table is used for men and women.

Go to www.nhibi.nih.gov/bmicalc.htm for an easy-to-use calculator to determine your BMI. Or, you can download one of the many BMI apps to your smartphone. Note: BMI is a screening tool and not necessarily a hard and fast rule. A person’s body type, muscle mass, and health status should be factored into determining a healthy weight.

You use the same calculation to figure the BMI for a child older than 2 years of age, but the result isn’t interpreted the same as in Table 4-1. Check with your pediatrician for the correct interpretation of a child’s BMI.

You never outgrow your need for physical activity. As you age, you need to be even more dedicated to being active. Normal aging results in a gradual decline in heart and lung function, nerve function, and muscle and bone strength. Being active improves your heart and lungs and allows you to do more work without feeling tired. Physically active older adults have faster reaction times, better balance, and better hand-eye coordination for performing manual tasks. Physical activity can reduce the number of fractures in older adults as well.

A BMI of 20 to 24.9 is considered a healthy weight. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, but not obese. And a BMI of 30 or greater is obesity. Refer to Table 4-1to determine your medical risk based on your BMI.

TABLE 4-1Your Medical Risk Based on Your BMI

In Table 4-1, medical risk is determined just by your weight. You may have an increased medical risk due to other conditions, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, or some other condition.

Because your BMI is based solely on weight and height, it may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a lot of muscle. If this applies to you, you’ll need a measure of your body-fat percentage. (Most gyms and fitness centers have facilities and trained personnel to complete these tests.)

On the other hand, BMI may underestimate body fat in older people or others who have lost muscle. So just remember to use the BMI as a helpful tool and realize that its readings and scores aren’t absolute.

If your number is 30 or above, don’t make the mistake of thinking you have to reach the 20 to 25 range before you’ll see a benefit to your health. Research shows that if you reduce your weight by 10 percent or even lower your BMI number by 2 points, you’ll significantly improve many health factors such as blood glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood pressure. Give yourself six months to lose 10 percent of your body weight.

If you aren’t overweight or obese, but health problems run in your family, keeping your weight steady is important. If you have family members with weight-related health problems, you’re more likely to develop them yourself. Talk to your healthcare provider if you aren’t sure of your risk. Developing a regular habit of physical exercise and eating a healthy diet is the best way to prevent weight gain.

People who have diabetes have a blood glucose level (often called blood sugar level ) that is too high. Everyone’s blood has some glucose in it because our bodies need it for energy. But too much glucose in the blood isn’t good for your health.

These sections discuss the three main types of diabetes.

Formerly called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children, teenagers, or young adults. In this form of diabetes, the body can no longer make insulin. Treatment for type 1 diabetes includes taking insulin shots or using an insulin pump, making wise food choices, exercising regularly, and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.

Formerly called adult-onset or non-insulin-dependent diabetes, this is the most common form of diabetes. People can develop type 2 diabetes at any age — even during childhood. In type 2 diabetes, the body either doesn’t make enough insulin or the body can’t properly use the insulin it does make; this condition is called insulin resistance. Being overweight increases your chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Treatment includes using diabetes medications and sometimes insulin, making wise food choices, exercising regularly, and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.

There is a genetic component to developing type 2 diabetes; however, environmental factors such as diet and exercise can influence whether genes express and diabetes develops. If you have several family members with the disease, you should be checked for the disease regularly by your healthcare provider. Age, inactivity, and having obesity are risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

Exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating a healthy diet such as the Whole Foods Weight Loss Eating Plan can delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Watch out for these signs and symptoms:

Extreme thirst

Frequent urination

Extreme hunger or unusual tiredness

Unexplained weight loss

Frequent irritability

Blurry vision

Cuts or sores that heal slowly

Unexplained loss of feeling or tingling in your feet or hands

Frequent skin, gum, or bladder infections

Frequent yeast infections

According to the 2020 CDC report 34.2 million Americans of all ages have diabetes. That’s just a little more than 1 in 10 people or 10.5 percent of the U.S. population. Most of them have type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease. It’s estimated that nearly one third of these people aren’t even aware they have the disease. One reason is that for a long time, you may not have any warning signs or symptoms. Sometimes the diagnosis may be made only after a serious complication occurs.