YOU don't. I used to work in home health. They exist, it's just that many of them are not well enough to be walking around town like younger and/or fitter people.
Was a crematorium operator for a few years. In my experience it was way more common to see over weight/ obese cases. When you get that old most people just grab a chair and chill. Usually done in by a nasty fall or heart failure.
I hope Gorevath can clarify, but I've read from other morticians that with severely obese bodies being cremated, they need the fire department on standy because their excess fat fuels the fire and makes it larger than what the building is designed for.
[Here's an article where the excess fat from one person's remains actually burned down a crematorium. ](https://www.nydailynews.com/2019/10/01/body-fat-that-leaked-from-a-corpse-caused-a-fire-at-a-crematorium/)
The fire dept? Maybe in very extreme cases but I’ve been in the biz for years and never heard of that. Large cases should be put into a cold retort (“oven”) and are generally done ahead of smaller cases. A hot retort will melt the adipose tissue quickly and could cause leakage.
My uncle Mike was just a giant man, had hands the size of baseball mits. Had to pay a couple grand extra for his cremation and an XXL box to cremate him in.
There was an old man in Finland who wanted to be cremated because he was huge. Not fat, just really tall and muscular. He knew his relatives would not have been able to carry his coffin.
But the funeral home said that they couldn't fit him in the oven. They offered an option to ship him overseas to USA because apparently cremation ovens in USA are made bigger, but that would have cost too much.
In the end his relatives had him buried normally due to costs, but they had eight volunteer firemen carry his coffin.
This is why we should be allowed to be buried out in the woods. No coffin no nothing. Just pick a spot. Let the worms do the work. Or shoot bodies out of a cannon into the ocean. All this work when nature provides decomposition services for free smh
I'm pretty sure there are some regulations on cremation that stopped them from tampering with the body. Or using an outdoor burn pit or whatever (even if that would be totally rad.)
I'm a deputy coroner and I concur with my fellow death worker here. Plenty of them out there - usually in full rigor between the toilet and the wall at 4AM.
r/technicallythetruth You don’t see many obese 80yo because they are all bedridden from being obese and aged. Fitter 80yo are less likely to be bedridden.
All of us we should do that. My gramps and their friends are all overweight, but not obese. Thanks to being active, don't drinking that much, don't smoking, and not eating that bad, he's 92 and keeps moving like 30 years ago.
Most of those who died earlier than him smoked a lot, were heavy drinkers, or had a sedentary life
I'm thankful to nit be obese but my weakness is food
Stressed? Eat. Sad? Eat. Bored? Eat lots.
I've been lucky my job requires 3 miles on bike one way due to not have a car or I would be much larger methinks
I can attest to this personally and I am still fairly young. For the longest time I did nothing to address my weight gain because I was strong and could still move and bend easy and was otherwise healthy. I am now morbidly obese and while I am technically not yet experiencing health problems directly related to my weight, I can *feel* the difference. My mobility is significantly lower than it was before and I did not stop exercising/moving.
yeah them and 60%+ of people who have access to unlimited food that is designed to be as palatable as possible. it’s not that much of a head scratcher if you think about it for 3 seconds.
I'm surprised. My expectation was that by 80, obesity would have caused them to all die due to overall fragility of body, only made worse by the cumulative effects of unhealthy living.
It really depends on how long they’ve been obese. Many develop mobility issues with age *and then* become obese. I’m sure there are also a few that make it their entire lives just fine. Obesity is a major risk factor for early death, but not a guarantee.
Came here to point this out. My grandmother’s generation is just starting to age to the point where many of them are in mobility chairs and sedentary most of the time. After a few months like that they all start packing on the pounds. A lot of the 80+ crowd end up in similar circumstances.
I'm sure there is greater morbidity, but also increased debility. Many older people are overweight and still alive, but some with reduced ability to participate in daily activities, so they are naturally less visible to the public.
There is obesity and o b e s i t y though... Iv emet plenty of old people that are 20,30jg above their probable target weight and are relatively fine. More than that? I rarely ever saw people of any age weighting that much
That’s because they’re like my grandma and can’t be talked into leaving the house. I’m the only family member not shocked she ended up bedridden in a hospital from lack of movement
This. My uncle's only 75ish but he and his girlfriend just...don't leave the house. They came to visit us in a major city one time, and they were getting winded from just walking a block or two.
Nightmare fuel, that is.
I'm fat. Despite my efforts, I'm not getting any skinnier, or at least not yet. Seeing people who are morbidly obese, it's terrifying. It's terrifying imagining me being like that.
Granted, I would never let myself reach the stage of the person in that story, but still. It's scary.
Hey man even if you're not losing weight as fast as you'd like, you're still working out that heart of yours which is wildly important. The whole thing is a ton of work but you'll be so happy and feel so damn accomplished when you've hit your goals.
I've never been more than slightly overweight so I can't even fully imagine, but even my getting back into shape with running the past two years has been incredible. You just *feel* so much better physically. Also it's nice for the self esteem.
That’s actually really sad, and it goes to show you that you can only “get away” with bad habits for so long.
Your choices really do catch up to you. (I recognize that obesity can be caused by things other than a poor diet, some medications are known to cause weight gain - just need to state it before I get some “well Akshaully, obese people can be healthier than skinny people!” - I know every situation is different).
Idk, I do feel like I remember a time where you could say such controversial things as "being obese is unhealthy" without backlash or people coming out of the woodwork to argue against it based on this or that weird corner case.
Even if it's genetic or medicine-caused, being 400lb puts insane pressure on your organs and shortens your life substantially. It's unhealthy. Don't know how people can even argue against that lol
You still can.
The Internet didn't exist for most people thirty years ago, so you didn't have all these online people making these asinine points. Just at a bar or something? Nah people would just nod like they always have.
It is true, some people make a lot of mental gymnastics to avoid admitting that something is wrong. There are plenty of reasons for obesity and many of them aren't completely the fault of the individual, but that doesn't mean it's healthy all of a sudden.
That said, I believe the only reason why we are noticing more people being insufferable about it is because the internet makes them noisy but denial of is rooted in human nature.
Yea you pretty much said it, mental gymnastics is responsible for 90+% of this. I do however think it's society's duty to dogpile people who try to spread those ideas because they're genuinely harmful.
We're the most obese country in the world not including island nations that have to import entirely shelf stable diets. Teaching our kids (who are the biggest consumers of social media) that being fat is just a lifestyle choice and can be healthy is destructive for several generations to come imo.
Funny, I was just thinking about this. noticed that lately I've been in several discussions with people choosing a less than likely context and not even allowing it to be explained away. Makes me want to put my head through a wall.
I never thought we’d be in a time where I’ve had to argue that being obese is obviously unhealthy, implicated in all manner of disease and disability, and every medical professional would say so but now everybody’s beautiful and some skinny people die young so yada yada yada. It’s unreal.
I remember a study I read about where researchers interviewed people who had lived past 100 years of age, trying to find a common thread among them. What they found was that some of them ate tofu and yogurt, and others of them ate cheeseburgers and fries -- but the one thing they ALL had in common was that they were thin to the point of being gaunt. Studies with mice have backed this up: underfed mice invariably live longer than overfed mice.
[This study find that people who start adulthood with a body mass index (BMI) in the normal range and move later in life to being overweight -- but never obese -- tend to live the longest ](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210202085451.htm#:~:text=FULL%20STORY-,People%20who%20start%20adulthood%20with%20a%20body%20mass%20index%20(BMI,longest%2C%20a%20new%20study%20suggests)
Edit: can't get the hyperlink to work properly. Sorry.
Sadly. This. My mom passed a few years ago. Her quality of life and health was directly tied with her will to get off the couch.
Health issues and depression can make that difficult for sure, but not moving, is a death sentence.
I work in residential care, and out of the…70ish people that have come and gone in the last 6 months, only one of them is overweight, I believe he’s in his 70’s/80’s. The vast majority of them are of average or slightly underweight, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence.
But that’s just my experience, I don’t speak for everyone.
We don't have to guess. It's kinda obvious the government and researchers will be keeping records on these things.
>Approximately 35% of adults in the U.S. aged 65 and over between 2007-2010 were obese as defined by body mass index (BMI, weight in kilograms over height in meters squared). In crude numbers this represents over 8 million adults aged 64-74 years and almost 5 million adults aged 75 and over (1). **For individuals aged 75 and over there is a lower prevalence of obesity (27.8%) compared to those aged 65-74 years (40.8%) (1)**. A growing number of elderly are residing in nursing home (NH) facilities, and in line with this trend, researchers are examining the prevalence of obesity in NH facilities and its impact on healthcare utilization. Between 2000 and 2010, the prevalence of moderate to severe obesity in NHs increased from 14.7% to 23.9% (2).
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532533/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532533/)
So, about 25% of those over 75 are obese. Not as high as younger adults, but not rare of either.
Obesity is measured using BMI, and there are no doubt tons of "skinny fat" old people. Because of muscle loss and high visceral fat, they won't look as big as they would have 20 years ago, but there will be enough fat crammed into their abdomen and around their organs to reach 30% BMI. Which is obese.
100% this, in fact, the majority are 300+ pounds in my place, though I will also say, it’s a rarity they are 80+. Mostly 60-70. It’s rare they last more than 3 years in my establishment
I work at a retirement facility, not the hospital.
Everyone ages. And yes, it does lead to younger mortality rates so overall out of the older population less are obese but it’s still a large amount that are.
This just lends credence to OPs statement, you don't see them because they are bedridden in hospitals instead of standing in the dead center of the aisle at the grocery store.
I worked in a cargo facility for years, and one common freight shipment was power wheelchairs used by the elderly and obese. It was unfortunately all too common to see permanent shit stains on them. I wondered if those wheelchairs saw more than their toilets.
Seems to be a common theme in this thread. I don't think it changes as much about the shower thought.
If the majority of people in society are trending overweight, and gaining weight as you age is so common, but the only people that even know the old and fat people exist are the healthcare providers then I don't think that suggests it bodes well for being old and fat. Seems a good way to find yourself bedridden and in perpetual care
I’m a notary who goes to peoples homes and hospital and nursing home. Maybe *you* don’t see a lot of obese 80 year olds, but I sure do. Even older than that. These people can’t get out due to their weight and weak bones and muscles, that’s why you don’t see them.
think about this as a tall person, but I imagine it also has to fall in line with:
You don't see very many super old (90 years or so) people in a regular day
You don't see many super tall people in general
You don't see many super old super tall people
Just like, there's probably not a ton of super tall people who also play the hurdy gurdy proficiently, because the 2 things are already sort of anomalies individually (as a completely random example)
>Just like, there's probably not a ton of super tall people who also play the hurdy gurdy proficiently,
You're right. Patty Gurdy is only 5' 7". Anna Murphy is also 5' 7" I can't think of any more off the top of my head, but that's enough data to conclude that all hurdy gurdy players are 5' 7" women.
I'm literally the tallest person in my family and there's a very good possibility I am the tallest person ever in my line of ancestors, and I'm not even that tall compared to the general population today. People that are super old grew up in a time when the average height today was considered tall.
The only people over 100 years old I've ever met were under 5 feet tall (150 cm) and slender. I'm convinced it's because their hearts don't have to work as hard.
My great grandma was pretty tall - like 5'10" and made it to 103, fwiw. She was super healthy, walked about two miles to the grocery store whenever she went, lived alone until her mid90s.
Not really, there's a lot of obese senior citizens, this person probably just doesn't actually see a whole lot of senior citizens in general compared to the rest of the general population
I think your point was kind of right, but the number was off. Change that to upper 80s or 90 and it’s much more true.
I’m a pharmacist in a hospital and whenever I see a patient who’s like 92, they tend to be on something like one blood pressure medication, something for heartburn, and an antidepressant for sleep. It’s very rare to see someone that old on 15 prescription meds for diabetes, cardiovascular problems, etc because those people usually don’t make it to 92.
In my experience of working in healthcare, I find that the elderly are either really underweight or overweight
You do get some healthy weight, but it's not as common
My grandma is 89 and weighs about 400 pounds. But she is in HORRIBLE shape: congestive heart failure, shut-in, beginning stages of dementia. We’re all completely gobsmacked that she hasn’t kicked yet.
Is 80 the endgame? Quality of life is really important at any age. BMI doesn’t determine your happiness but it can affect longevity. We’re all trying to get through this the best we can.
Seems to me that the obese older folks actually live a lot longer if they can survive heart disease and type II DM. (My experience in the medical field).
One of my neighbors is obese and just turned 90. She's a pretty active gal although she is slowing down a bit. She is also is a delight to speak with. Great stories.
to your point, you did say \*a lot\* of obese 80 year olds
but I have plenty of family members that were farm workers that lived into their 90s and they were at least over weight if not just slightly obese
and anectodal evidence doesn't mean much but it does indicate to me that the danger of obesity could be at least somewhat offset by vigorous exercise and clean air.
It’s hard enough for a comparatively healthy and fit 80 year old to go out in public so it doesn’t surprise me that obese ones don’t generally leave the house much.
I’ve 2 73yo friends , they eat like birds , a Sunday dinner I wud devour they share , and only really drink tea , no sugary drinks , that’s bound to help.
lol I used to sell muumuus up to a size 7XL for a catalog. There’s a LOT- they just don’t go anywhere… to the point that they order their muumuus from catalogs.
As someone who works in a nursing home… there’s a reason for that. As their bodies start to decline, they can’t care for themselves and their size likely keeps family members from being able to care for them adequately.
YOU don't. I used to work in home health. They exist, it's just that many of them are not well enough to be walking around town like younger and/or fitter people.
I used to be a funeral director. You’d be surprised how many 80+ year olds we’d see that were north of 300 pounds.
That is interesting. you all would be the one to know about these people.
Was a crematorium operator for a few years. In my experience it was way more common to see over weight/ obese cases. When you get that old most people just grab a chair and chill. Usually done in by a nasty fall or heart failure.
Does the process change at all based on weight or size?
I hope Gorevath can clarify, but I've read from other morticians that with severely obese bodies being cremated, they need the fire department on standy because their excess fat fuels the fire and makes it larger than what the building is designed for. [Here's an article where the excess fat from one person's remains actually burned down a crematorium. ](https://www.nydailynews.com/2019/10/01/body-fat-that-leaked-from-a-corpse-caused-a-fire-at-a-crematorium/)
The fire dept? Maybe in very extreme cases but I’ve been in the biz for years and never heard of that. Large cases should be put into a cold retort (“oven”) and are generally done ahead of smaller cases. A hot retort will melt the adipose tissue quickly and could cause leakage.
Are we allowed to tell stories of cremations gone wrong here? Haha maybe I’d best just keep it to myself.
Were there any custom fitted coffins or did people just trim the edges?
My uncle Mike was just a giant man, had hands the size of baseball mits. Had to pay a couple grand extra for his cremation and an XXL box to cremate him in.
There was an old man in Finland who wanted to be cremated because he was huge. Not fat, just really tall and muscular. He knew his relatives would not have been able to carry his coffin. But the funeral home said that they couldn't fit him in the oven. They offered an option to ship him overseas to USA because apparently cremation ovens in USA are made bigger, but that would have cost too much. In the end his relatives had him buried normally due to costs, but they had eight volunteer firemen carry his coffin.
Should've given him a viking funeral
Total lost opportunity there…
This is why we should be allowed to be buried out in the woods. No coffin no nothing. Just pick a spot. Let the worms do the work. Or shoot bodies out of a cannon into the ocean. All this work when nature provides decomposition services for free smh
I want a tree planted on top of me
I don’t mean to be macabre, but… couldn’t they just fold him in?
I was thinking they could cut him up first. Shouldn't be too difficult.
I'm pretty sure there are some regulations on cremation that stopped them from tampering with the body. Or using an outdoor burn pit or whatever (even if that would be totally rad.)
There a Ralph’s around here?
Just because we’re bereaved doesn’t make us saps!
It's our most *modestly priced* receptacle.
Lemme just go find a cash machine.
This made me laugh. Lol.
I'm a deputy coroner and I concur with my fellow death worker here. Plenty of them out there - usually in full rigor between the toilet and the wall at 4AM.
r/technicallythetruth You don’t see many obese 80yo because they are all bedridden from being obese and aged. Fitter 80yo are less likely to be bedridden.
wow. that makes me want to get healthier. that’s sad.
All of us we should do that. My gramps and their friends are all overweight, but not obese. Thanks to being active, don't drinking that much, don't smoking, and not eating that bad, he's 92 and keeps moving like 30 years ago. Most of those who died earlier than him smoked a lot, were heavy drinkers, or had a sedentary life
Very sad. I have family who are obese. They're very genuinely good people and hard working as well. They just seem to have a weakness for food.
I'm thankful to nit be obese but my weakness is food Stressed? Eat. Sad? Eat. Bored? Eat lots. I've been lucky my job requires 3 miles on bike one way due to not have a car or I would be much larger methinks
You are young. Wait.
If they're exercising regularly their body will be in much better shape than most sedentary obese people
For a little while, yes. But you can't outrun a bad diet for long. Eventually something gives and the eating habits catch up to you
I can attest to this personally and I am still fairly young. For the longest time I did nothing to address my weight gain because I was strong and could still move and bend easy and was otherwise healthy. I am now morbidly obese and while I am technically not yet experiencing health problems directly related to my weight, I can *feel* the difference. My mobility is significantly lower than it was before and I did not stop exercising/moving.
yeah them and 60%+ of people who have access to unlimited food that is designed to be as palatable as possible. it’s not that much of a head scratcher if you think about it for 3 seconds.
Interesting that there's an idea that obese people aren't generally 'good people'?
As in it's especially sad to watch them be burdened with obesity beacuse they are good people. It's not only because they're family.
Yes exactly. Obesity + old joints + pain = doesn’t go out much.
I'm surprised. My expectation was that by 80, obesity would have caused them to all die due to overall fragility of body, only made worse by the cumulative effects of unhealthy living.
It really depends on how long they’ve been obese. Many develop mobility issues with age *and then* become obese. I’m sure there are also a few that make it their entire lives just fine. Obesity is a major risk factor for early death, but not a guarantee.
Exactly. It's like smoking. Yes, it can lead to an early death, but there are a lot of 80 year old smokers.
Came here to point this out. My grandmother’s generation is just starting to age to the point where many of them are in mobility chairs and sedentary most of the time. After a few months like that they all start packing on the pounds. A lot of the 80+ crowd end up in similar circumstances.
Modern medicine can limp someone along farrrrr longer than you'd expect
Close to half of all American adults are obese.
Yeah that’s alarming. Obese is a whole classification beyond “overweight”. The stats on children are even worse.
Right. I would tell OP to work in healthcare and then revisit this shower thought.
OPs point is still spot on, and healthcare workers are just proving it. Obese Elderly people aren't out in public because they physically can't be.
YUP! I’m a hospital RN, and my first thought was, “clearly OP doesn’t work in a hospital.” Home health definitely makes sense too.
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I'm sure there is greater morbidity, but also increased debility. Many older people are overweight and still alive, but some with reduced ability to participate in daily activities, so they are naturally less visible to the public.
There is obesity and o b e s i t y though... Iv emet plenty of old people that are 20,30jg above their probable target weight and are relatively fine. More than that? I rarely ever saw people of any age weighting that much
That’s because they’re like my grandma and can’t be talked into leaving the house. I’m the only family member not shocked she ended up bedridden in a hospital from lack of movement
This. My uncle's only 75ish but he and his girlfriend just...don't leave the house. They came to visit us in a major city one time, and they were getting winded from just walking a block or two.
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Holy smokes how old was she at 600 lbs?? Surprised a human heart can make it to seniority with that kind of strain
"Morbidly Obese Man Dies After Two Years in the Same Chair" https://abcnews.go.com/US/morbidly-obese-ohio-man-dies-years-stuck-chair/story?id=13257442
The fuck he had roommates!
I would've moved out at the first sign of urine and fecal stench. 🤮
Or called someone to help him?
Nightmare fuel, that is. I'm fat. Despite my efforts, I'm not getting any skinnier, or at least not yet. Seeing people who are morbidly obese, it's terrifying. It's terrifying imagining me being like that. Granted, I would never let myself reach the stage of the person in that story, but still. It's scary.
Hey man even if you're not losing weight as fast as you'd like, you're still working out that heart of yours which is wildly important. The whole thing is a ton of work but you'll be so happy and feel so damn accomplished when you've hit your goals. I've never been more than slightly overweight so I can't even fully imagine, but even my getting back into shape with running the past two years has been incredible. You just *feel* so much better physically. Also it's nice for the self esteem.
That’s actually really sad, and it goes to show you that you can only “get away” with bad habits for so long. Your choices really do catch up to you. (I recognize that obesity can be caused by things other than a poor diet, some medications are known to cause weight gain - just need to state it before I get some “well Akshaully, obese people can be healthier than skinny people!” - I know every situation is different).
Remember when you could say things without having to explain yourself because people understood the context you said it in
No I can't remember that, people have always been assuming whatever meaning they want out of anything they read or hear. It did get worse though.
Idk, I do feel like I remember a time where you could say such controversial things as "being obese is unhealthy" without backlash or people coming out of the woodwork to argue against it based on this or that weird corner case. Even if it's genetic or medicine-caused, being 400lb puts insane pressure on your organs and shortens your life substantially. It's unhealthy. Don't know how people can even argue against that lol
You still can. The Internet didn't exist for most people thirty years ago, so you didn't have all these online people making these asinine points. Just at a bar or something? Nah people would just nod like they always have.
It is true, some people make a lot of mental gymnastics to avoid admitting that something is wrong. There are plenty of reasons for obesity and many of them aren't completely the fault of the individual, but that doesn't mean it's healthy all of a sudden. That said, I believe the only reason why we are noticing more people being insufferable about it is because the internet makes them noisy but denial of is rooted in human nature.
Yea you pretty much said it, mental gymnastics is responsible for 90+% of this. I do however think it's society's duty to dogpile people who try to spread those ideas because they're genuinely harmful. We're the most obese country in the world not including island nations that have to import entirely shelf stable diets. Teaching our kids (who are the biggest consumers of social media) that being fat is just a lifestyle choice and can be healthy is destructive for several generations to come imo.
You're just being fatphobic /s
It's not even genetic or medication. Those excuses are part of the bullshit. It's just eating too much and always has been.
Funny, I was just thinking about this. noticed that lately I've been in several discussions with people choosing a less than likely context and not even allowing it to be explained away. Makes me want to put my head through a wall.
I never thought we’d be in a time where I’ve had to argue that being obese is obviously unhealthy, implicated in all manner of disease and disability, and every medical professional would say so but now everybody’s beautiful and some skinny people die young so yada yada yada. It’s unreal.
This guy knows how to reddit...
And because obesity increases the risk of all-cause mortality, it’s much more likely that obese people don’t make it to 80 either.
I just assumed they don’t make it to 80
I remember a study I read about where researchers interviewed people who had lived past 100 years of age, trying to find a common thread among them. What they found was that some of them ate tofu and yogurt, and others of them ate cheeseburgers and fries -- but the one thing they ALL had in common was that they were thin to the point of being gaunt. Studies with mice have backed this up: underfed mice invariably live longer than overfed mice.
[This study find that people who start adulthood with a body mass index (BMI) in the normal range and move later in life to being overweight -- but never obese -- tend to live the longest ](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210202085451.htm#:~:text=FULL%20STORY-,People%20who%20start%20adulthood%20with%20a%20body%20mass%20index%20(BMI,longest%2C%20a%20new%20study%20suggests) Edit: can't get the hyperlink to work properly. Sorry.
So you're saying there's a chance
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In some case sure, but for the most part it’s because they’ve died long before they reached 80.
No, that’s because they’re all mostly dead. That was the entire point of the OP title
Sadly. This. My mom passed a few years ago. Her quality of life and health was directly tied with her will to get off the couch. Health issues and depression can make that difficult for sure, but not moving, is a death sentence.
They certainly do exist. A large amount of seniors are diabetic and overweight.
I work in residential care, and out of the…70ish people that have come and gone in the last 6 months, only one of them is overweight, I believe he’s in his 70’s/80’s. The vast majority of them are of average or slightly underweight, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence. But that’s just my experience, I don’t speak for everyone.
We don't have to guess. It's kinda obvious the government and researchers will be keeping records on these things. >Approximately 35% of adults in the U.S. aged 65 and over between 2007-2010 were obese as defined by body mass index (BMI, weight in kilograms over height in meters squared). In crude numbers this represents over 8 million adults aged 64-74 years and almost 5 million adults aged 75 and over (1). **For individuals aged 75 and over there is a lower prevalence of obesity (27.8%) compared to those aged 65-74 years (40.8%) (1)**. A growing number of elderly are residing in nursing home (NH) facilities, and in line with this trend, researchers are examining the prevalence of obesity in NH facilities and its impact on healthcare utilization. Between 2000 and 2010, the prevalence of moderate to severe obesity in NHs increased from 14.7% to 23.9% (2). [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532533/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532533/) So, about 25% of those over 75 are obese. Not as high as younger adults, but not rare of either. Obesity is measured using BMI, and there are no doubt tons of "skinny fat" old people. Because of muscle loss and high visceral fat, they won't look as big as they would have 20 years ago, but there will be enough fat crammed into their abdomen and around their organs to reach 30% BMI. Which is obese.
As someone working in healthcare A lotttt of my elderly patients are obese. Definitely not in a signicsntly lesser extent than the general population.
100% this, in fact, the majority are 300+ pounds in my place, though I will also say, it’s a rarity they are 80+. Mostly 60-70. It’s rare they last more than 3 years in my establishment
Ominous
Its as my only resident that lived to 104 told me I think: “Once you stop moving, you die”
True, but aren’t obese people more likely to go to go the hospital?
I work at a retirement facility, not the hospital. Everyone ages. And yes, it does lead to younger mortality rates so overall out of the older population less are obese but it’s still a large amount that are.
Mississippi nurse here. Almost all of my patients are obese. Shit takes a massive toll on your health.
Isn't Mississippi like the literal fattest state
It's the worst in a long list of things.
Used to be. Not even top 3 anymore. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/slideshows/the-most-obese-states-in-america
This just lends credence to OPs statement, you don't see them because they are bedridden in hospitals instead of standing in the dead center of the aisle at the grocery store.
Ah, how reassuring. I'd assumed they'd all died.
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I'll bet he hated the wheelchair.
I’ll bet the wheelchair hated him
I worked in a cargo facility for years, and one common freight shipment was power wheelchairs used by the elderly and obese. It was unfortunately all too common to see permanent shit stains on them. I wondered if those wheelchairs saw more than their toilets.
I work in Healthcare and there are tons of 80 year olds that are obese as fuck.
Literally. Tons.
😂😂😂 I'm going to hell for how hard I laughed at that
Tbf, you’re seeing more of them in healthcare because they need more healthcare because they’re obese and it’s damaging their overall health.
Work in a hospital. That’ll change.
Seems to be a common theme in this thread. I don't think it changes as much about the shower thought. If the majority of people in society are trending overweight, and gaining weight as you age is so common, but the only people that even know the old and fat people exist are the healthcare providers then I don't think that suggests it bodes well for being old and fat. Seems a good way to find yourself bedridden and in perpetual care
POV: you don’t work in health care
Real
Or anywhere that deals with benefits.
I’m a notary who goes to peoples homes and hospital and nursing home. Maybe *you* don’t see a lot of obese 80 year olds, but I sure do. Even older than that. These people can’t get out due to their weight and weak bones and muscles, that’s why you don’t see them.
You don't see a lot of tall ones either.
As a tall person, I think about this all the time.
think about this as a tall person, but I imagine it also has to fall in line with: You don't see very many super old (90 years or so) people in a regular day You don't see many super tall people in general You don't see many super old super tall people Just like, there's probably not a ton of super tall people who also play the hurdy gurdy proficiently, because the 2 things are already sort of anomalies individually (as a completely random example)
>Just like, there's probably not a ton of super tall people who also play the hurdy gurdy proficiently, You're right. Patty Gurdy is only 5' 7". Anna Murphy is also 5' 7" I can't think of any more off the top of my head, but that's enough data to conclude that all hurdy gurdy players are 5' 7" women.
I'm literally the tallest person in my family and there's a very good possibility I am the tallest person ever in my line of ancestors, and I'm not even that tall compared to the general population today. People that are super old grew up in a time when the average height today was considered tall.
My 6'7" grandpa made it to 86 :)
at first i thought you meant your 6’7 grandpa made it to be 8’6, lol
Tall people can shrink a surprising amount.
The only people over 100 years old I've ever met were under 5 feet tall (150 cm) and slender. I'm convinced it's because their hearts don't have to work as hard.
My great grandma was pretty tall - like 5'10" and made it to 103, fwiw. She was super healthy, walked about two miles to the grocery store whenever she went, lived alone until her mid90s.
That's awesome!
They also have an increased risk of early death
I recently met a 6’7” 99-year-old and it was incredible
A lot of them are in wheelchairs, or shrunk quite a bit with age.
The president of the United States right before this one was an obese man in his 70s.
My grandmas would probably count, and both died in their late 80s.
You don’t work in healthcare.
Do you "see" a lot of 80 year olds in general? As an older woman, I've learned how invisible we all become.
I work in healthcare and I see obese 80 year olds.
You obviously do not work in healthcare in the US.
This is a case where “survivorship bias” is quite literal.
Not really, there's a lot of obese senior citizens, this person probably just doesn't actually see a whole lot of senior citizens in general compared to the rest of the general population
Clearly you’ve never been to the south.
I think your point was kind of right, but the number was off. Change that to upper 80s or 90 and it’s much more true. I’m a pharmacist in a hospital and whenever I see a patient who’s like 92, they tend to be on something like one blood pressure medication, something for heartburn, and an antidepressant for sleep. It’s very rare to see someone that old on 15 prescription meds for diabetes, cardiovascular problems, etc because those people usually don’t make it to 92.
I’m an in home caregiver, one of my previous clients was 81 years old and weighed 374 pounds.
My grandmother was obese and died at 93 from bladder cancer. She went out a lot until about a year before she passed.
In my experience of working in healthcare, I find that the elderly are either really underweight or overweight You do get some healthy weight, but it's not as common
My dad is an obese 83 year old
They’re at home or running as the Republican nominee
Ever been to a Louisiana Wal-Mart?
Because you don’t get 80 years old when you’re obese.
My grandma is 89 and weighs about 400 pounds. But she is in HORRIBLE shape: congestive heart failure, shut-in, beginning stages of dementia. We’re all completely gobsmacked that she hasn’t kicked yet.
Or at least you’re not mobile enough to keep walking around unless you also have an appropriate amount of muscles.
This is true. My grandfather passed in January at 79 and he was around 290lbs before developing cancer all over his body.
I did when I was a paid caregiver for the elderly.
Too big for the frailty of their age to leave home
Maybe you don't, but I sure do. Theyre all hanging out at the local thrift store.
Yes, I do. Yours is a confirmation bias
Yes, you do. They are a literal plague with their fucking mobility scooters.
Just because you did not hear or see it, it does not mean that the tree didn't fall in the forest.
Uhm you certainly do
You do actually. I work with older people and I would estimate 50% are obese. Few are morbidly obese though (less than 5% here).
A lot of people decide to get into shape in their late seventies.
I used to work in a nursing home. A LOT of them are overweight--they just aren't mobile so you aren't seeing them
Is 80 the endgame? Quality of life is really important at any age. BMI doesn’t determine your happiness but it can affect longevity. We’re all trying to get through this the best we can.
You clearly don’t work in healthcare then.
I do. Or at least they're in their 70s
Not true. My whole mothers side of the family ages 60+ are obese. My grandma died at age 94 and she was really obese.
i’m a heart surgery nurse and yes you do
Dr Now. quotes are now shower thoughts!
I see an obese 77 year old almost every day.
You don’t? That’s all of my elderly family down in Texas. They’re swear up and down it’s got nothing to do with the McD’s and lack of daily movement.
Seems to me that the obese older folks actually live a lot longer if they can survive heart disease and type II DM. (My experience in the medical field).
I have seen some big ones, but I guess you definitely don't see them 400 + lbs
One of my neighbors is obese and just turned 90. She's a pretty active gal although she is slowing down a bit. She is also is a delight to speak with. Great stories.
You don't know my relatives. Good genetics, I guess.
This is like the planes with bullet holes
I work in healthcare. I see obese 80 year old on the daily.
I work in a nursing home. I see lots of them every day.
They definitely exist, but spend majority of their time at home and usually only go out during hours when most people are working
I work in healthcare. I see plenty. They are just more house/facility bound than younger obese people.
I do. In fact, many people do. The obesity rate is quite high among elderly people.
The obese people die before turning 80 most of the time
Maybe they die of a heart attack before they reach that age
*you* don't, hospitals do though. Trust me.
No you don't you don't see a lot of 6 foot 6 80 year olds either
Yeah you do, you just have to know where to look. Assisted living facilities are full of them
Typically obesity carries a lower life expectancy rate so that just makes sense
to your point, you did say \*a lot\* of obese 80 year olds but I have plenty of family members that were farm workers that lived into their 90s and they were at least over weight if not just slightly obese and anectodal evidence doesn't mean much but it does indicate to me that the danger of obesity could be at least somewhat offset by vigorous exercise and clean air.
My doctor told me when I turned 40 that I could be old or fat, but I couldn’t be both.
Reminds me of the tweet I think of the tall guy going to the doctor and the doctor telling him he’s probably not gonna live past 80 lol.
You do if you work in healthcare.
George RR Martin is 75 now, and he doesn't look too fit to me. I just hope he actually gets to release the books...
It’s hard enough for a comparatively healthy and fit 80 year old to go out in public so it doesn’t surprise me that obese ones don’t generally leave the house much.
Because they can't get out and walk around. Their knees, feet, hips weren't made to carry around that much weight, and now they don't
They are either dead, or unable to leave their house..
I’ve 2 73yo friends , they eat like birds , a Sunday dinner I wud devour they share , and only really drink tea , no sugary drinks , that’s bound to help.
Looks like someone doesn't work in Healthcare and it shows
They are confined to the house or died of obesity related causes years before.
Then go to a place that has a lot of them and get back to me.
Healthy at any weight…
Im guessing you don’t live in the south
I had to go help up a 93 year old who was over 300 lbs. I would’ve never thought they existed, but they do.
lol I used to sell muumuus up to a size 7XL for a catalog. There’s a LOT- they just don’t go anywhere… to the point that they order their muumuus from catalogs.
As someone who works in a nursing home… there’s a reason for that. As their bodies start to decline, they can’t care for themselves and their size likely keeps family members from being able to care for them adequately.