Seniors good, but could be better

The elderly are living longer and stronger than ever, but they could feel even better by shedding a few pounds, health officials and researchers at the University of Pittsburgh said Wednesday.
In honor of National Public Health Week, which aims to educate older adults about healthy lifestyles and promote early detection of chronic diseases, the Allegheny County Health Department released newly compiled statistics from its 2002 Behavioral Health Risk Survey.

Some signs were positive.

Less than 12 percent of adults 65 and older surveyed in nearly 5,000 households were smokers. Forty percent said they were sexually active -- most with single partners. Almost 95 percent had regular doctor check-ups. More than 60 percent said they had received flu and pneumonia shots.

"In general, (seniors) seem to be fairly healthy," said Dr. Bruce Dixon, department director. "But it's really in the spirit of saying 'Let's do better' that I say we're not doing badly."

In a county with the second-largest elderly population in America -- behind only Florida's Miami-Dade County -- it's especially alarming that 62 percent of the older adults surveyed were overweight or obese, Dixon said.

"We all could benefit from pushing back from the table and getting more exercise," said Dixon, who is seeking money to repeat the health risk survey next year.

There's more evidence of a countywide weight problem among the elderly.

Researchers at Pitt's Center for Healthy Aging in McKeesport recently evaluated about 540 Pittsburgh-area seniors and translated the assessments into "The 10 Keys to Healthy Aging."

Five of these deal with improving diet and getting more exercise, program director Constance Bayles said.

"If you control obesity, then you control the risk of problems like (high blood pressure) and heart disease," Bayles said.

Bayles and her team have launched an outreach campaign to help the elderly in the community adopt these healthy lifestyle changes.

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