Thursday, April 22, 2004
Last modified Wednesday, April 21, 2004 1:35 PM CDT


Attacking The Carbs

By GENNIE PHILLIPS, Times Assistant Editor

Many of today's "fad diets' have not only been affecting the young population but is also reaching the senior adults. They are often left asking their doctors what is and is not safe for them or not knowing which diet is best.

Although some adults, including senior adults have shown weight loss with diets such as the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet, a balanced diet is still recommended for senior adults.

"It is recommended to cut down on some carbohydrates and extra sugars, but not at such great length," Karen Reece, family nurse practitioner said.

Healthful diets help children grow, develop, and do well in school. They enable people of all ages to work productively and feel their best. And they can help to maintain senior adult's health. Food choices also can help to reduce the risk for chronic diseases, such as heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, stroke, and osteoporosis, that are leading causes of death and disability among Americans. Good diets can reduce major risk factors for chronic diseases - factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol.

For senior adults looking to live a long healthy life, studies show that a low-calorie diet could be the solution.

A recent study at the University of California in mice suggests that a low-calorie diet could help extend life even if the dietary change doesn't start until old age.

The study, appearing this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that mice at the relatively advanced age of 19 months that were placed on a restricted calorie diet lived 42 percent longer than litter mates who continued to eat a standard diet.

Other studies have shown that young mice put on a low-calorie diet live much longer than mice fed the standard fare. But the new research suggests that it is never too late to enjoy a life-extension benefit by reducing calories.

"Cutting calories is the main thing that needs to be done for a person looking to lose weight," Reece said. "It is sensible to cut down and to exercise."