Losing weight at 80 and over. Why keeping your strength comes first

Why the goal changes at 80

In later life, appetite often fades, taste changes and thirst is felt less. The body loses muscle more easily and struggles to rebuild it. A diet, even a light one, can take away the strength you need to walk, get up from a chair and stay independent.

The NHS page on malnutrition explains that people aged 65 and over are particularly at risk, and that weight loss is not an inevitable part of getting older. Losing 5 to 10% of your weight over 3 to 6 months without trying is one of the main warning signs. A few extra pounds sometimes protect more than they harm.

What really matters

• Eating enough. 3 meals and a snack, without forcing yourself, with dishes you enjoy.
• Protein at every meal. An egg, a yoghurt, a little fish or meat. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass, as our page on muscle and weight loss explains.
• Drinking regularly. A glass with every meal and between meals. Our page on how much water to drink gives some guidance.
• Moving every day. Walking around the house or outside, standing up from a chair, stepping up onto a stair while holding the rail. The NHS physical activity guidelines for older adults recommend activities for strength, balance and flexibility on at least 2 days a week.
• A varied plate. Fruit, vegetables, dairy and starchy foods. Each food group brings something different.

For family and carers

If you help an older parent, a few signs are worth raising with their GP. Clothes becoming loose, meals left half eaten, new tiredness, falls. Weighing your relative once a month, at the same time of day, helps spot a loss that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Sharing a meal remains one of the best ways to bring back an appetite. People eat better together than alone in front of the television.

If the GP advises losing weight

It does happen, for example to ease a painful joint. The principle is then the same as at 70, with even more care. No skipped meals, protein at every meal, a very slow loss and regular check-ups with the GP. Our page on losing weight after 70 describes this approach.

At the club

At Witney Nutrition Club, the coaches are trained in nutrition. At this age, they do not offer a weight loss plan without the GP agreeing first. They can answer questions about balanced meals, with the GP as the only judge of what suits you.

This article gives general information. It does not replace the advice of your GP or another health professional.