title: Obesity in the elderly.
abstract: Obesity is a prevalent health disease among the elderly as it contributes to the early onset of chronic morbidity and functional impairment and is also related to premature mortality. The prevalence of sarcopenic-obesity increases too with age in each sex leading to a significantly higher prevalence of physical impairment and disability, as well as higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome. We observe a natural phenomenon (ageing) and a complex world-wide illness (obesity) that should not be merely treated as the sum of the treatments for the elderly and for the obese. The balance between the potential benefits of treatment interventions, reducing premature morbidity and mortality, and the impact on quality of life in old age may be different from young and adult age in case of obesity and need to be seriously considered.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Donini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Savina
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coletti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paolini
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: de Felice
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: del Balzo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cannella
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scavone
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000209:etiology