The Gerontological Society of America KAER Toolkit for the Management of Obesity in Older Adults is intended to support primary care teams who seek to implement a comprehensive approach to help older adults with overweight and obesity recognize and care for their condition.

It includes practical approaches, educational resources, and validated clinical tools that teams can integrate into their workflows. 

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To learn about the recent KAER Toolkit updates, click here.

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The National Caucus and Center on Black Aging (NCBA) developed the report “Stuck in the Middle” to address all aspects of obesity, including but not limited to causes, effects, statistical profiles, myths and misconceptions, public policy, ways to address obesity, resources for managing obesity, barriers to accessing a full continuum of care, and more. In this Momentum Discussion Podcast episode, the report author and NCBA’s Director of Health Programs discuss key points from the report, whose target audience is the African American community, in which obesity occurs at an inordinately high rate.  They share insights from the report that is written in laymen’s language in order to reach as broad an audience as possible, and they highlight why action is urgently needed to support African Americans to access the full spectrum of quality obesity care.

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This GSA Momentum Discussion Webinar focuses on obesity as a chronic and often untreated disease, inextricably linked to common health conditions that impact the health and mobility of older adults. The panel makes the case that these health conditions need to be treated intently by an interprofessional healthcare team while also addressing the common root cause of obesity. They describe how by using the GSA KAER—Kickstart, Assess, Evaluate, Refer—Framework and the tools and resources in the GSA KAER Toolkit for the Management of Obesity in Older Adults primary care teams can support older adults with obesity to recognize and care for their condition. 

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The National Consumers League and National Council on Aging worked with health leaders and obesity specialists to establish a set of rights so people with obesity will be screened, diagnosed, counseled and effectively treated for their overweight and obesity based on medical treatment guidelines. During the Momentum Discussion Podcast episode, leaders from these two organizations discuss the impetus for and development of the Obesity Bill of Rights and discuss each of the eight rights included in it. They share what is next for their organizations around the Bill of Rights and share how others can join the movement to help ensure person-centered quality obesity care for adults living with the chronic disease of obesity.

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In June 2023 the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) convened 15 multidisciplinary leaders in a roundtable discussion on Addressing Barriers to Accessing a Full Range of Evidence-Based Obesity Care Options by Older Adults. This poster, presented during the 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting, illustrates key findings from this roundtable discussion including seven strategies to address barriers to quality obesity care for older adults.

This Momentum Discussion podcast episode addresses the importance of physical activity for longevity and independence, challenges older adults may face when exercising and their solutions, and suggestions on how to get started with incorporating routine exercise into one’s life. 

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This podcast episode is supported by Novo Nordisk.

In this issue of Insights & Implications in Gerontology, current concepts are presented about the complex interplay among the stomach, liver, pancreas, brain, and metabolic processes of the body. Recognition of obesity as a chronic disease by medical organizations is discussed, and the need for integration of their guidelines into multifaceted and interdisciplinary care of the older adult is presented.

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During this Momentum Discussion podcast episode, interprofessional experts examine obesity as a disease and discuss the need to intently treat individuals with obesity using guideline-based and standard-informed interprofessional and multifaceted plans of care. They share insights into the unique needs of older adults living with obesity, and they reflect on the heterogeneity of the older adult population and the importance of considering this heterogeneity when providing obesity care for older adults.

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For more information on speakers of this session, visit podbean for details.

This podcast episode is supported by Novo Nordisk.

Overweight. Obesity. Severe obesity. What do these terms mean, and how are people diagnosed with these conditions? What causes weight gain, and why it the situation worsening so quickly?

People’s body sizes have increased greatly over the past four decades. In 2017 and 2018, among Americans aged 60 years or older, 42.2 percent of men and 43.3 percent of women had obesity. This GSA publication reviews the evaluation, consequences, and clinical management of obesity and overweight in older adults. 

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Obesity in older adults impacts morbidity and mortality, quality of life and increases the risk of institutionalization. Weight loss interventions can effectively lead to improved physical function. Diet-alone interventions can detrimentally impact muscle and bone physiology and without interventions to affect these elements, can lead to adverse outcomes. Understanding social and nutritional issues facing older adults is essential. This session will address the physiological changes that put older adults at risk for obesity and the specific impact of obesity on chronic health conditions, including COVID-19. The panelists will also discuss the impact of stigma associated with obesity and the role of an interprofessional team in ensuring the safety of older persons with obesity. 

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