# Long-term function and health effects of intentional weight loss in obese elders

> **NIH NIH R01** · WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2020 · $548,048

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Obesity exacerbates age-related declines in function, is a strong determinant of mobility disability, and is
associated with poorer clinical outcomes and quality of life. Given that over one-third of older adults are obese
and the public health burden of age-related disability, identifying effective therapies that prevent obesity-related
declines in function and health in older adults are urgently needed. Clinical trials by our group and others show
that diet-induced weight loss interventions, particularly when combined with exercise, improve body
composition and physical and metabolic function over the short-term (in the weight-reduced state) in obese
older adults. However, the overall safety and long-term benefits of intentional weight loss in this population
remain controversial and weight loss is often not recommended because of uncertainty of whether the benefits
outweigh the risks (e.g., loss of muscle mass and bone). Furthermore, most individuals are not successful at
long-term maintenance of weight loss. Thus, whether improvements in physical and metabolic function and
other health parameters persist over time among older adults following intentional weight loss, particularly if
weight regain occurs, is unknown. The overall goals of the proposed study are to determine if the short-term
benefits of intentional weight loss on physical and metabolic function are sustained and to examine potential
long-term benefits and risks of weight loss in older adults. We will determine the effects of randomization to
diet-induced weight loss on physical function (primary outcome), body composition, bone mineral density, and
cardiovascular risk factors (secondary aims) a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 10 years after intervention
completion. Our general hypothesis is that randomization to weight loss will result in improved long-term
physical and metabolic function compared to randomization to no weight loss. We will take advantage of our
unique access to five NIH-supported randomized, controlled trials that enrolled overweight or obese (BMI≥27
kg/m2) older adults (mean age at randomization, 67.3 years) and randomized them to weight loss plus exercise
(n=458) or exercise alone (n=396) at Wake Forest from 2005 to 2014, the pooling of which will provide
sufficient sample size to definitively evaluate the long-term functional and health consequences of prior
intentional weight loss. We will also explore the long-term effects of randomization to weight loss on quality of
life (SF-36), obesity- and weight loss-related medical events (e.g., knee replacements, fractures, MI),
hospitalizations, and mortality; and assess the role of current behaviors (e.g., dietary intake, physical activity)
on weight loss maintenance, physical function, body composition, and cardiovascular risk factors. The
proposed study will be the first randomized, controlled design to examine the long-term effects of intentional
weight loss in older adults and builds o...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9920646
- **Project number:** 5R01AG056418-04
- **Recipient organization:** WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Denise Kathryn Houston
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $548,048
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-01 → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9920646

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9920646, Long-term function and health effects of intentional weight loss in obese elders (5R01AG056418-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9920646. Licensed CC0.

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