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Is It Common To Lose Weight At Old Age Being Healthy ?

Posted on Tue, 13 Dec 2022

Question: Hello Doctor,

My name is Vikas and I want to ask about my Father.
Am living in XXXXXXX and my parents are in native 250 KMS away.

He is 69 years Old. I was working as a labour than retired as a superviosur for a Steel Plant (SAIL), he got retired at his 60 years.
When he was working 9 years ago he was fit and muscular and weight was around 75 kgs (height - 167 cms).

From past 2 years we are observing his weight is reducing GRADUALLY.

3 months back (in April) we went for a wedding (in a village). After having food their he fall sick with Diarrhea for 1 week. And he has become lean (quick) weight reduced to 50kgs.

Now, his daily routine is - wake up at 7:30 am have Ragi malt, around 9:45 he will have breakfast (Idly/Dosa/Palav/etc..) and he will go Out (walk for around 2kms). Around 1:30pm he will have lunch (most of the times Rice n Sambar) followed by a Nap (1 hour), have Tea around 5 pm and go for a walk for around 5-6 kms. Around 8:30pm he will have Dinner (Chapathi/Ragi Ball and little Rice) and Sleep.

NO Symptoms of - Heavy Sweating, breathing problem, Tiredness.
Medical History - Hight BP from past 15 Years. He takes tabs and it is in control.
NO Diabetes, Cholesterol is Normal. ECG is fine (as per doctor).

Problems:
1. Whenever he have food Outside in hotels within hours he will have Loose Motion (we give him Eldoper tab, Lactobacillus Sporogenes Tab and Citro Soda satchet). He will be fine.
2. Now his Current weight is 50 Kgs.
3. If he travel/don't walk/sit for long hours he will have back pain for 2-3 days.

My Questions:
1. Is he health? is this common for his age?
2. Is he a malnutrition?
3. How can he gain some weight ?
4. He walks for 5-6 kms daily without any issues.
5. Being his Son how can I take care of him and keep happy at his age?
6. Does he require any supplements like eggs or whey protein? Is it advice-able to take?

He had struggled a lot to bring me and my brother to this stage. We both are Engineers and earning handful. We want to take care of him at his age.

Please advice.

Answered by Dr. Vaishalee Punj (41 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Lets test him for typhoid

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

No its not a condition of his age. Since he has lost weight there is some reason. Ideally a colonoscopy should be done in his age to rule out colon cancer or any other colon pathology. But we have to start with basic blood tests including complete blood count. liver function test, widal test, prostate specific antigen and stool examination-basic, ova, parasites, culture and sensitivity. If these tests are negative then we will need to rule out other causes of malbasorption.

Yes malnutrition is happening because of malabsorption of nutrients. There is colitis (inflammation of colon) due to some reason. This colitis is not letting absorption of nutrients happen.

He can gain weight by eating more of high calorie foods like milkproducts (ghee, butter, cheese, sweets, icecream etc. He can also add calories by adding Ensure powder to his daily milk.

Being his son, you can help him by educating him about hygienic food and cleaner drinking water. Can get an RO system fixed at his place to provide cleaner water. Give him becosule capsules daily. Also give him Abendazole tablet one tablet every 3 days for 3 doses. This will de-worm. Take him for an examination by doctor at a reputed hospital and further tests. Monitor his weight, blood pressure, etc regularly.

Eggs or whey protein, he may not be able to digest. He already has issues digesting food. Moreover if he is not used to eating eggs, then eggs may cause allergy in him.

Hope this helps. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Thnaks,
Dr Vaishalee

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Vaishalee Punj (8 minutes later)

Should I consult a Physician or any other Specialist?

Answered by Dr. Vaishalee Punj (16 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Gastroenterologist

Detailed Answer:
Hi again

Gastroenterologist will be best able to help you.

I personally donot know a gastroenterologist but there are many there. You can visit any reputed corporate hospital/specialist in your area.

Thanks,
Dr Vaishalee

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Vaishalee Punj (2 minutes later)

Am Scared - Ideally a colonoscopy should be done in his age to rule out colon cancer or any other colon pathology. But we have to start with basic blood tests including complete blood count. liver function test, widal test, prostate specific antigen and stool examination-basic, ova, parasites, culture and sensitivity. If these tests are negative then we will need to rule out other causes of malbasorption.

Could you please explain more or put it in simpler form. What are you suspecting ?

Answered by Dr. Vaishalee Punj (15 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
I am suspecting colitis

Detailed Answer:
Hi again

I am mostly suspecting weight loss due to malabsorption due to colon inflammation (colitis). And we need to find cause of the inflammation. But we still need to rule out ominous diagnosis like cancer which can also cause weight loss and is common in older age.

Dr Vaishalee

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Vaishalee Punj (36 minutes later)

What is 'rule out' means in medical terms? Does it mean exclude?

Answered by Dr. Vaishalee Punj (16 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Rule out means exclude

Detailed Answer:
Hi

Yes, rule out means exclude.

Dr Vaishalee

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar