Diet-Exercise Combination Best For Obese Seniors Who Want To Be Stronger, More Fit.

The Los Angeles Times (3/30, Stein) "Booster Shots" blog reported, "The one-two punch of diet and exercise may be the best for obese seniors who want to be stronger and more fit," according to a study published March 31 in the New England Journal of Medicine. For the study, "researchers placed 107 men and women who were obese and age 65 and older into one of four groups for a year: one that dieted; one that did cardio, resistance, flexibility and balance exercises three times a week; one that did both; and a control group that neither dieted nor exercised." Notably, almost "across the board, the seniors in the diet and exercise group fared better than the diet group, exercise group or control group alone."

HealthDay (3/20, Dotinga) reported, "Some physicians worry about recommending dietary changes and exercise for older people for fear that weight loss may cause them to lose muscle and bone mass and increase their frailty, said geriatrics specialist" Dennis T. Villareal, MD, the study's lead author. But the findings suggest that "older people, with approval from a physician, should combine diet and weight management 'to improve their physical function and their quality of life and delay the need for institutionalization,' Villareal said." The story was also covered by WebMD (3/30, Mann), MedPage Today (3/30, Neale).

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