The chronic disease of obesity, combined with age-related changes and other health conditions, results in complexities when managing obesity in women as they age. Interprofessional care teams need a comprehensive, personalized approach, including lifestyle interventions and the availability of a full range of treatment options. This GSA Momentum Discussion webinar, recorded at the GSA 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting, highlights trends in the care of women with obesity as they age.

Support provided by Novo Nordisk and Haleon.

During this webinar, expert faculty will discuss the strong, bidirectional link between obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among aging and older adults. They examine how excess weight contributes to airway collapse and decreased lung volume and how untreated OSA-induced fatigue and hormonal changes may lead to further weight gain. The faculty will highlight heightened risks for comorbidities such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cognitive decline when both conditions are present, and they will review interprofessional treatment approaches aimed at improving health and quality of life for older and aging adults with obesity and OSA. 

In this episode of the GSA Momentum Discussions Podcast, titled "Trends in Comprehensive Obesity Care for Women as They Age," a family medicine doctor and geriatrician with deep expertise in care of older adults with obesity reflects on the unique needs of older and aging women with obesity. She discusses key assessment principles that clinicians should consider when caring for women with obesity as they age, and she highlights the importance of comprehensive, individualized care by an interprofessional team for older and aging women with obesity. 

This podcast episode is supported by Haleon and Novo Nordisk, with content developed by the Gerontological Society of America (GSA).

In this article, published in Good Day!, the magazine of the National Grange, Director of Strategic Alliances, Jen Pettis addresses safety concerns associated with compounded anti-obesity medications and shares suggestions from federal agencies aimed at ensuring medication safety. 

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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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Support provided by Novo Nordisk.

In this Momentum Discussions Podcast episode, Joseph Sapone reflects on his weight journey. He provides us with unique perspectives of an older adult who has lived in a larger body size for most of his adult life. He shares how stigma and bias have affected him in his personal and professional life as well as in healthcare and other settings. Joe discusses how a comprehensive approach to obesity management has helped him to achieve his health and wellness goals, and he offers insights into why it is so important that older adults have access to the full continuum of obesity care. 

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This podcast episode is supported by Novo Nordisk. Content was developed by Gerontological Society of America (GSA).

In this Momentum Discussions Podcast episode, obesity advocate Ted Kyle shares a bit about his personal history with obesity and how this influenced his vital work as an advocate. He discusses his perspectives on how false beliefs and outdated paradigms along with stigma and bias negatively affect individuals living with obesity. Finally, he explains that good obesity care requires access to the full range of obesity care tools, and he offers a message to policymakers about the need to offer older adults access to the full range of obesity care options. 

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This podcast episode is supported by Novo Nordisk. Content was developed by Gerontological Society of America (GSA).

The GSA Momentum Discussion webinar, Seven Strategies for Quality Obesity Care for Older Adults, explored critical issues surrounding obesity as a chronic disease and strategies to improve care for older adults. The discussion highlights the need for an evidence-based, interprofessional approach to obesity management. Panelists addressed persistent stigma and bias in healthcare, disparities in access to treatment, and the importance of cultural considerations in obesity care. They also emphasized the necessity of Medicare coverage for comprehensive obesity care and discussed the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) as a potential solution. The conversation concluded with a look at emerging innovations and therapies that could enhance quality of life for older adults with obesity.

Support provided by Novo Nordisk.

In this Momentum Discussion Podcast episode, Dr. John A. Batsis, co-convener of the GSA Obesity and Aging Interest Group, describes exciting findings about how obesity management medications positively impact a variety of major medical conditions. He also describes the unique needs of older adults with obesity and highlights the need for evidence-based, team-based care for them. 

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This podcast episode is supported by Novo Nordisk. Content was developed by the Gerontological Society of America (GSA).

In June 2023 in Washington, DC, GSA hosted a roundtable discussion with researchers, clinicians, and advocates who were asked to address key questions about obesity as a disease of body weight regulation and how outdated paradigms and perceptions about obesity can be improved among health professionals, policymakers, and the public. That discussion produced valuable information on key aspects of obesity care across the lifespan and particularly in clinical care for older adults. This report presents the roundtable’s insights, which are discussed in the framework of seven strategies for addressing barriers to quality obesity care for older adults. 

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Support provided by Novo Nordisk.