Obesity comes with a lot of notorious life-threatening risks. Heart disease, diabetes, cancer… the list goes on and on. But there’s one complication that doesn’t get nearly as much attention as it deserves, despite being every bit as lethal.
I’m talking about falls. Because believe it or not, falls account for some two-thirds of all hospital costs—upwards of $35 billion. And they’re an especially big concern for older generations—half of whom are dealing with the double whammy of obesity and sarcopenia.
Sarcopenia is just a fancy term for the progressive muscle loss that we dismiss as a “normal” part of aging. But when paired with obesity, there’s really nothing normal about it.
This deadly combo is called “sarcopenic obesity.” And new research shows it’s one of the straightest paths to falls, leading to fracture and disability.
A serious threat to postmenopausal women
This recent study focused on fall risk among older women. Researchers reviewed data from more than 11,000 postmenopausal participants in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI)—including weight, muscle mass, and fall history.
Ultimately, researchers found that sarcopenic obesity posed the greatest fall risk to Hispanic/Latina postmenopausal women. But they also linked the condition to a higher risk of falls in postmenopausal women younger than 65.
Needless to say, these aren’t the women you’d expect to be taking catastrophic tumbles. (And given the sharp declines in bone density that often accompanies menopause, catastrophe is practically guaranteed.)
But there you have it—yet another lethal form of premature aging that’s directly tied to our country’s spiraling obesity crisis. And one that’s especially frightening when the fight to retain muscle mass and strength begins by the tender age of 30.
It’s perfectly preventable
Of course, the real tragedy here is that, despite being dismissed as a natural part of aging, sarcopenia is just as preventable as obesity.
At the most basic level, sarcopenia is just another byproduct of “sitting disease”—a modern plague that ages you from the inside out. In fact, a sedentary lifestyle can rob up to 5 percent of your muscle mass every year.
But with some simple changes, you can reverse damage that’s already been done—and regain the strength you had 5, 10, even 20 years ago. And this is another case where my A-List Diet takes top honors.
As you may recall, the “A” stands for amino acids, which your body needs to do virtually everything. But chief among these biological tasks is building muscle—making them particularly essential for staying lean and strong.
Sarcopenia is serious business. And good nutrition is just one big piece of the puzzle. That’s why I laid out a more detailed muscle-sparing protocol back in the June 2016 issue of my monthly newsletter, Logical Health Alternatives (“Three simple ways to save your muscles from certain death—and stay strong and independent well into your 80s, 90s, and beyond”).
Subscribers already have access to that article—and a whole lot more—in my archives. So if you haven’t already, sign up today.
Source:
“Does having muscle weakness and obesity lead to falls for older women?” Science Daily, 5 November 2018. (sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181105122506.htm)