Geisinger (Pa.) to Unveil Results of Major Elderly Obesity Study May 2
Earlier this year, United States Surgeon General David Satcher reported that 300,000 Americans die annually because of obesity and declared war on the country's growing health problem. But unlike conventional wars where the bulk of the fighting involves young people, the "War on Obesity" may find its greatest battle among the elderly.
Recent research on elderly patients, ages 65 and above, from the Geisinger Medical Center's Clinical Nutrition Research Center in Danville, Pa., linked the role of nutrition and obesity to both increased risk of hospitalization and functional limitations. The findings are part of the Geisinger Rural Aging Study (GRAS) and will bring 30 nutritional specialists to Geisinger's Danville facility for a related conference on Thursday, May 2.
The event is being organized by Dr. Christopher Still, director of the Center for Nutrition and Weight Management at the GMC -- the major facility of the Geisinger Health System, which provides health services for approximately 2.5 millions patients in 38 counties of Pennsylvania. Geisinger's service area has the second largest concentration of rural older persons (15.8 percent) in the United States.
Prior to the research on Geisinger patients, it was unclear from previous literature on how obesity was associated with other nutrition risk indicators in the elder population. A recent study evaluated 200 older patients, obtained from a cohort of over 20,000 Geisinger patients from all of the systems' that were screened for nutritional risk. Gender-associated differences in nutrition risk among community-dwelling, rural older adults were studied to determine if weight status -- Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference -- were related to other measures of nutrition risk. Nutrition risk was based on the Nutrition Screening Initiative Level II nutrition screen, and overall diet quality determination, nutrient intakes, and blood biomarkers were obtained.
The study found that approximately one-third were obese, with a BMI of 30 or higher. While there were few differences in the nutrient intake between older men and women when controlling for calories, women's' weight status was associated with multiple additional nutrition risk indicators.
"The study found that overweight and obese older women, particularly those living alone, had poor diet quality and undesirable nutrient intakes in fiber, folate, magnesium, iron, and zinc, as well as higher total of saturated fat," says Still. "I think there is often a misconception of false sense of security that being overweight correlates with proper nutrition. I think what is important is to look at quality of our diets and not just the quantity of food consumed. Targeted nutritional intervention based on nutrient dense food choices may be warranted to improve these dietary patterns."
Former Geisinger doctor Gordon L. Jensen -- now of the Vanderbilt Center for Human Nutrition in Nashville, Tenn. -- and Dr. Helen Wright from Penn State University joined with Still in this investigation. Researchers from The Agriculture Research Service, Penn State University, and Tufts University in Medford, Mass., also assisted on the research.
"We need to make the quality of nutrition a more clearly recognized priority for the elderly by health professionals other than nutritionists, and that's what we'll discuss at this conference," says Still. "These studies point out how nutritional assessment and intervention is particularly crucial in the elderly, who experience a higher incidence of chronic illnesses and yet are often malnourished -- despite being overweight often times -- for socioeconomic reasons."
If you'd like to contact Dr. Still, it may be best to set up an interview through Mark Davis, manager of media and community relations, by calling his office at 570-825-1070, or e-mailing him at [email protected].
Feel free to call us at 814-867-1963, or e-mail me at [email protected] if you have additional questions or needs.
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