The University of New Hampshire conducted a study and found that overweight elderly people have less leg strength and power than those people that have what is considered normal weight. Overweight persons have a higher risk of being disabled and losing independence and contradicts the popular image of the bird-thin elder being at greatest risk of becoming disabled due to loss of muscle mass. The article is another good reminder that us boomers whether we be men or women must take care of our health to obtain the healthy longevity that we all desire.KJ
Study: Overweight older women have less leg strength, power
DURHAM, N.H. – A new study from the University of New Hampshire finds that the leg strength and power of overweight older women is significantly less than that of normal-weight older women, increasing their risk for disability and loss of independence. With more Americans aging and becoming overweight or obese, the study, published recently in the Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, dispels the popular image of the bird-thin elder being at greatest risk of becoming disabled due to loss of muscle mass.
"That’s the chorus that’s been sung for the last 20 years," says lead author Dain LaRoche, assistant professor of kinesiology at UNH. "But with two-thirds of Americans overweight or obese and the elderly population expected to double by year 2030, we are going to see a large portion of people who are disabled due to the concurrent gaining of weight and loss of strength."Continue reading
