Older people are better at losing weight than younger people who blame fast food

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Research also showed that older people wanted to lose weight to improve their health, while for younger people the main driver was their appearance.

Over the past three decades, obesity rates have nearly doubled, with 26% of adults in England now obese, up from 14% in 1991. In addition, 38% are overweight.

Many obesity experts have blamed this increase on an increasingly obesogenic environment and the rise of fast food and convenience foods.

But the new research, presented at the European Obesity Congress in Dublin, also suggested a major shift in attitudes towards dieting.

While 58% of people aged 65 and over thought weight loss was their sole responsibility, only 40% of younger respondents – with an average age of 41 – felt this way.

The international study, involving 14,502 obese people and led by researchers at Rabin Medical Center, Israel, also involved experts from the University of Leeds, as well as scientists from Saudi Arabia and Australia.

Professor Jason Halford, president of the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO), one of the authors of the study, said that older people have a different view of the world, being more independent and stoic. It’s a bit like the Blitz spirit.

He added: Older generations are more likely to trust the doctor and do what is recommended, while younger people might be more likely to feel comfortable asking for advice but not taking it. necessarily.

Dr Dror Dicker, Tel Aviv University, lead author and co-chair of EASO’s Obesity Management Working Group, said: The perception among older people is that obesity is a choice lifestyle, not a disease.

Younger generations accept that the environment and fast food culture are partly to blame.

When it comes to barriers to weight loss, older people are much more motivated to lose weight than younger people, he added.

The main motivation for elderly patients is their health, not their appearance. While younger patients want to look slimmer and fit in a smaller clothing size, older people worry about obesity-related diseases. They want to feel better physically and have more energy.

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