Winning at weight loss isn’t easy, but keeping off those pounds can present even more of a challenge. Just ask some former winners of The Biggest Loser. A new study revealed that 13 out of 14 contestants had regained much of their weight, and four weighed even more than they did prior to comp…
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With this week — May 8 through 14 — being National Food Allergy Awareness Week, we can help to increase awareness, encourage respect, promote safety, and improve the quality of life of the 15 million Americans affected by food allergies and anaphylaxis. KUSA – With this week — May 8 through 14 -…
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A reduced intake of calories, such as in the framework of an intermittent fasting diet, can help to whip the metabolism back into shape — but why does …
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When you are healing your diet-obsessed mind and your nutrition-starved body, there are many obstacles, gremlins and “theories” that try to keep you from taking the necessary steps toward freedom. Though these challenges may seem completely unique, really, they’re not. Most women…
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Home » Daily Care » Nutrition & Exercise » Questions » My dad (87) loved eating. Brother has put… My dad was always one of those guys who could eat anything and never gain weight…until he got older and was less active.. Then he began to put on weight and then even more when mom died. I believe he turned to food to take the pain away. For the last eight years, he’s had a real love affair with food to the point it was the only thing (besides going to the casino) that made him happy. Problem was, he was also a lifetime smoker and that, along with being a foodie, have left him with congestive heart failure, COPD and liver desease…three reasons he’s not living alone anymore. A few months ago, being up to nearly 225 lbs (he’s 5’10 tall) he had a real issue with gout that put him into the hospital, and his sugar levels were high, so they told him in front of my brother that he really should try to lose some weight and start watching his sugar levels closely. My brother has always been a health nut and he’s hated the way dad’s been eating so he’s taken this opportunity to put my dad on a very strict diet of few carbs, no sweets, no salt, and very small portions. At first that sounded ok to me, but now I’m not so sure. The last couple of times I’ve talked with him he just says how awful life is now that he’s not allowed to eat. One of the problems is his dentures hurt him so he won’t wear them and everything soft is “bad” for him. So he really is always hungry. My sister in law, who is the main caregiver, confirmed that he’s totally miserable and that when she tries to talk to my brother about it, but he refuses to listen, that he doesn’t want to see dad die in pain like he was with the gout, not on his watch anyway. So what is the answer here? In a few short month’s dad’s dropped back down to around 190. The way I see it is he’s 87 years old with congestive heart failure and COPD… what more damage could this food do? I wonder if the metal anguish he’s feeling by not being able to eat what he’s loved all his life isn’t worse then the physical problems the food might cause. At least with the physical he can take a pain pill…not much he can do about the misery. I did suggest antidepressants, but my sister in law says the Doctor is worried about how they would mix with some of his meds. This is breaking my heart for dad, and yet I understand why my brother thinks he should eat healthier. but is that practical at this point in his life?? Anyone have any suggestions? Has this happened to anyone? “I wonder if the mental anguish he’s feeling by not being able to eat what he’s loved all his life isn’t worse then the physical problems the food might cause.” Yes. Yes it is worse. What is the point in living longer and hating it? “Has this happened to anyone?” Yes. A special diet was recommended for my husband. In his case it wasn’t for weight control, it was about swallowing issues. He tried it faithfully for a month, and became more and more depressed. Finally he said to me, “I am really sorry, but I just can’t do this. I’d rather take my chances on choking or dying from aspiration pneumonia than to live like this.” And we dropped the diet. (BTW, both his PCP geriatrician and the behavioral neurologist who treated his dementia supported his decision to ditch the diet.) It would be good for Dad to lose some weight. He lost the weight. There are ways of maintaining that loss or minimizing what he might regain without being on a depression-causing strict diet with lots of limitations. As a foodie myself, I think what your brother is doing is cruel and unnecessary. And it probably is NOT what the medical staff had in mind when they advised “lose some weight.” Try to get your brother to compromise, with perhaps one sweet food per day or per meal – just make the proportions smaller. Another alternative if you live close enough is to take your father out for lunch or dinner weekly, if that’s possible, so he does have something to look forward to. I think food takes a higher level of need in terms of satisfaction for older people; sometimes it’s all they have left. But there are healthy diets that aren’t deprivation diets. You might try doing some research on them and see how you can supplement your father’s diet, or make suggestions to your brother for foods that are in fact healthy but not laden with sugar or other undesirable foods. BTW, stevia is a sugar substitute. It’s used by gardeners and people who don’t want to eat refined sugar. Prevention magazine used to be good for providing nutritious alternative foods that aren’t laden with sugar, preservatives and other junk. You might also (if you have HIPAA authority) talk to his doctor(s), and/or ask them for a nutritional consult with someone who is in fact familiar with alternative diets. It sounds as though your brother won’t listen to you or his wife, so perhaps it might be helpful if your dad could see a dietitian to plan a diet that is a little more flexible. As long as your dad is competent, why can’t he decide for himself what he will eat? It’s not your brother’s decision. At 87 years of age with health issues, it would seem it’s your dad who should decide what he eats. It might be concerning to brother, but it’s not his decision to make if he’s not legally the person in charge. Dad might name his Durable Power of Attorney and make sure everyone knows his wishes, which doesn’t include a strict diet.
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The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is based on ample consumption of healthy foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, fruit, fish, moderate alcohol and olive oil. The MedDiet pattern has been associated with reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes in both epidemiological studies …
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In less than a year, the company formerly known as Google has flipped the financial narrative. At this point last year, investors were annoyed that Google was having growth problems and seemed to be spending like a drunken sailor on shore leave. Now, Alphabet is in Wall Street's…
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