If you decide to try a commercial weight-loss program, investigate your options carefully. Naturally, you'll want a safe, reasonably priced program with features that will meet your unique needs. Here are some questions to consider:
 

- Are you ready to commit to losing weight and keeping it off? Try to focus on health rather than appearance. You'll be more successful in the long run.
 

- Does the program you are considering include ongoing weight-maintenance support?

Quick-fix weight-loss pro­grams won't give you long-term results. Learning how to maintain your weight by changing eating and other lifestyle behaviors is the key to lifelong health benefits.
 

- Does the program encourage physical activity?

Exercise not only promotes weight loss; it also helps you maintain a healthy weight. A good program advocates physical activity and shows you how to increase your level of exercise gradually and safely.
 

- What does the program suggest as your goal weight and how long will it take you to reach it?

Your goal weight should be realistic and based on your personal and family weight history—not just height and weight charts. Remember even a ten-pound weight loss will have positive health benefits. The slower you lose weight, the more likely you are to keep it off. A one-half to one-pound loss per week is a safe goal. (You may lose weight more rapidly at first, but this loss is mosdy water.) If you plan to lose more than twenty pounds, if you have any health problems or if you take medication on a regu­lar basis, consult your doctor before starting a weight-loss plan.
 

- What is the program format?

If you need a lot of social sup­port, you might want to join a self-help-style group. If you are enthusiastic about exercise, investigate programs offered by health clubs.

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In addition to acting as an antioxidant, vitamin C plays an important role in helping the body absorb iron. It is possible to get enough vitamin C from a well-balanced diet, but stud­ies have shown that some elderly people are at risk for a defi­ciency, especially since the body doesn't store this vitamin.
 

Although older people may ingest less vitamin A, they seem to store it more efficiently than younger adults do. Vitamin E deficiencies are rare and not considered a risk for elderly peo­ple. There is some evidence that a high intake of vitamin E from food or supplements may lower your risk for heart dis­ease, cancer and premature aging.

B Vitamins: Folic acid lowers blood levels of a chemical called homocysteine, which is linked to heart attack and may be in­volved in stroke as well. Folic acid also helps in the manufacture of red blood cells, and a deficiency may lead to anemia. A defi­ciency in vitamin B₁₂ also can result in anemia as well as in neu­rological problems like poor balance and impaired memory. A B₁₂ deficiency may develop in older people because they be­come less able to absorb die nutrient. Some older adults may need more B₆ in their diets than the 1.6 milligrams needed daily by younger people. A vitamin B₆ deficiency can affect immunity.
 

Vitamin D: Vitamin D is especially important to older women because it helps the body absorb and use calcium to retain bone. Older adults typically have lower levels of active vitamin D because they consume less from food. The body can manufacture vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sun­light, but many older people no longer spend sufficient time outdoors, and overexposure to sunlight can cause skin cancer. Minerals: Both calcium and phosphorous are critical to bone health in elderly women. The third player on the bone health team is vitamin D, which is necessary for calcium absorption. Because many elderly women cannot get enough of these micro-nutrients in their regular diet, your doctor may want you to take a supplement.