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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Marjorie A. Getz, MA, MPHIL, Department of Psychology, Bradley University, 1501 W. Bradley Avenue, Peoria, IL 61625, 309 677 2587, mgetz@bradley.edu, M. Barbara Campbell, Marketing Department, Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 6501 N. Sheridan Road, Peoria, IL 61614, and Richard D. Harvey, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, One Illini Drive, SFNB, Peoria, IL 61605.

The proportion of Americans who are overweight or obese has increased dramatically in the last 25 years. And, weight gain in the subgroup of adults over 50 is truly significant. By age 55, the average American has added nearly 40 pounds of fat during adulthood, a condition made worse because muscle and bone mass decrease with age. Many health care providers believe that attempts at weight loss after reaching middle age are futile and don't offer advice and support to this age group. The presentation describes a program tailored to meet the unique needs of older adults (persons over 50 years old) who are interested in losing weight in a medically sound manner, are forced currently to delay orthopedic surgery because of weight concerns, suffer from medical conditions that cannot be effectively managed because of weight, have a lifetime history of weight loss/gain that requires a more comprehensive approach, or have had prior bariatric surgery and feel they can no longer sustain the weight loss without behavioral interventions. This unique program pulls together many resources in a single setting for patient convenience and cooperation including physician or specialist referral services, psychotherapy services, physical therapy services and exercise programs. This presentation will summarize results of 3 1/2 years of program operation and include a synopsis of the methods used for strategic planning for program development, description of the structure and functioning of the program and highlights of some of the noteworthy statistics and success stories from the first years of operations.

Learning Objectives:

• At the end of the session, participants
• 1.will be able to better understand overweight and obesity as important health problems for older adults;
• 2.will be able to appreciate the need to individualize behavioral health recommendations related to diet and exercise;
• 3.will be aware of the impact of inconsistent health messages on the routine practices of older adults;
• 4.will understand a multidisciplinary approach to weight management.

Keywords: Behavioral Research, Obesity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered