WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
scale                                                                                             clock


More older people are over-weight than ever before. Weight gain and obesity can occur if you eat too much or don't use up the calories you get from food. The extra calories turn into fat. This can happen as a result of decreased ability to exercise and move about as a result of a disability and/or the effects of aging. There are a number of reasons why obesity is a problem, especially for a woman with a disability:

  • Obesity is a health hazard. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), a person who is 40 percent overweight is twice as likely to die prematurely as a person whose weight is in the average range. This effect is seen after 10 to 30 years of being obese.
     

  • Obesity is linked to several serious medical problems, including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. Obese women are more likely to die from cancer of the gallbladder, breast, uterus, cervix, and ovaries.

man running as he pushes a woman in a wheelchairEFFECTS OF OBESITY ON A WOMAN WITH A DISABILITY:

  • Too much weight gain for a woman with a disability can make it even harder to move around. A woman who finds it hard to move around becomes less active and may gain even more weight. This can be a vicious cycle----one that needs to be broken if she wants to begin to lose weight.
     

  • Obesity can also make weight shifts and transfers more difficult. This can result in skin shearing and breakdown. As you age, skin breakdown can occur more easily and healing can take longer. A woman with a disability who is obese will also have more problems doing thorough skin checks.
     

  • If a woman is overweight and needs help with transfers, a greater demand is placed on the caregiver, and both the caregiver and the woman also have a greater risk for injury during the transfer.

  • If a woman's disability affects her joints and muscles, as in the case of arthritis, extra weight puts even more stress on the joints.

Losing weight can be a slow and difficult process for some women. Crash diets and fad diets just don't work for long. Proper weight loss takes time, patience, and commitment. Some women may get frustrated and become depressed about their weight. This depression can then interfere with the woman's ability to stick to a healthy eating plan.

Recommendations:

1. Find out if you need to lose or gain weight. Some experts feel that a measurement called the Body Mass Index (BMI) is a more accurate tool than the height and weight charts. You can click on the link below to figure out your BMI: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm

2. Be realistic about your goals. Slow is the way to go! If you have been gaining weight over the last 5 years, you can't expect to lose it all in one month, or even one year.

3. Make a commitment to learning how to select healthy foods in the right amounts. Click on NUTRITION to learn more.

4. Try to move around a little more each day. Begin with gentle stretching exercises, if possible. Don't stress your already over-worked joints, bones and muscles with difficult exercise programs that are designed for people without disabilities. If you have a physical disability, you need to preserve your muscles and joints.

woman exercising in water

5. Don't be pulled in by crash diets and quick weight-loss supplements. Once you go off these diets and supplements, you will very likely regain the weight you lost.

6. Ask for the support of your family and friends.

7. Be sure to talk to your health care provider before beginning any diet or exercise program.

8. If needed, you may want to talk to a professional nutritionist for help.

For more information on adult obesity, go to:
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/pubs/unders.htm#tables

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08/11/2003 12:52 PM