by staff writer
As the concept of middle age gets pushed further and further along the years, many of us are guilty of ignoring the concept of the middle-aged spread for a similarly longer period. A study from Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute reveals that in the 51-69-year-old demographic, only 43% of American women are considered of healthy weight, with 33% considered overweight and 24% having a Body Mass Index of 30 or above and being classed as obese. For men, the picture is even bleaker, with only 31% in the healthy weight bracket.
A big risk of being overweight is type 2 diabetes. In 2021, 38.4 million Americans were diagnosed with diabetes, with the overwhelming majority, 36.4 million, having type 2. While this condition is most commonly associated with seniors, the age of sufferers is dropping. There were 706,000 new diagnoses of diabetes in the 45-64 age category, versus 326,000 in those 65 and over according to a 2018 study. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90-95% of adult diagnoses of diabetes but carrying extra weight makes management of type 1 diabetes considerably more difficult too. How can you manage your weight when dealing with diabetes? Let’s take a look.
Healthy Eating
In our 50s, we’re perhaps less physically active than we were when younger. However, as the adage goes, ‘Get fit in the gym, lose weight in the kitchen’. For diabetics, it’s a little more complex. A plate of food for diabetics should look roughly half full of non-starchy vegetables, a quarter of protein, and a quarter of carbs. Batch cooking can help control portions since cooking in advance means you can prep individual protein portions for days’ worth of meals. Cooking in advance also means you can take advantage of specials at the grocery store. Foods that the American Diabetes Organization recommends as ‘diabetes superfoods’ such as spinach, beans, and tomatoes can easily be turned into stews and soups and will freeze well.
Lifestyle Changes
Monitoring and managing diabetes can seem like a full-time job at times. Between monitoring glucose levels in the blood, remembering to have insulin and the appropriate foods on hand, and accounting for age – menopause can mean checking blood sugars more often – it can seem like a lot. It’s worth considering whether diabetic weight management programs might effectively help you as they provide a framework for eating well and healthily. The best of them also include support from experts so you have someone to answer questions and help customize your plan to you.
The Importance of Exercise
Managing weight places a heavier emphasis on diet than it does exercise. The CDC recommends 150 minutes of physical activity per week, and it’s particularly important for diabetics as exercise can lower blood sugar. Physical activity can also improve cholesterol levels, important for older adults with diabetes who have an increased risk of cardiovascular complaints, heart disease, and stroke than younger sufferers. Additionally, endorphins from exercise help relieve stress that may result from a new diagnosis of diabetes condition and the considerations it brings into your life.
The social benefits of exercise provide another boost to mental wellbeing. We like pickleball – it’s a fast-growing game that can be played by all ages. The recent popularity of pickleball means you’ll find clubs using municipal tennis courts as well as dedicated pickleball courts for the sport- meaning it is accessible to many of us.
Conclusion
Managing weight as we age is often challenging. And while diabetes throws some complications and stipulations into the mix, the good news is there’s nothing intrinsic to the condition that makes it any harder for those with it to shed a few pounds. The best way to do so is to take care of yourself and adopt healthy lifestyle habits.
Leslie Farin is the Publisher and Founder of 50PlusToday. She is an experienced communications and marketing professional passionate about working with older adults and their families. She works with a team of writers to provide essential and cutting-edge information related to the 50Plus community.
