Quality clinical care for older adults diagnosed with obesity as a disease took center stage at a June 2023 summit hosted by the Gerontological Society of America (GSA). The roundtable discussion, including researchers, clinicians, advocacy organizations and professional societies, identified seven key care strategies to achieve successful care of older adults with obesity, and GSA presented these strategies in its 2024 booklet Bringing Obesity Management to the Forefront of Care for Older Adults.
As identified by the interdisciplinary expert summit participants, the seven strategies to address barriers to quality obesity care for older adults are:
1. Inform and educate about obesity as a chronic disease, requiring care across the lifespan.
2. Address weight bias and stigma among health providers and the public.
3. Use person-first language when referring to someone who has obesity.
4. Respect and honor cultural considerations about body size.
5. Engineer environments of care to accommodate people of all body sizes.
6. Ensure access to the full range of care for older adults with obesity: diet, exercise, behavioral modification, and medical and surgical interventions.
7. Incorporate an interprofessional, evidence-based approach to caring for older adults who have obesity.
Older adults are particularly vulnerable to the negative consequences of overweight and obesity, explained summit co-chair and GSA member John A. Batsis, MD, FACP, FGSA, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“Older adults should be cared for by an interprofessional team during the weight loss process to ensure that the clinical goals are achieved without compromising overall health or other conditions,” said summit co-chair and GSA member Kathryn N. Porter Starr, PhD, MS, RDN from Duke University School of Medicine. “Patients may need long-term contact with registered dietitians, exercise physiologists, physical and/or occupational therapists, social workers, pharmacists and other involved members of the healthcare team.”
