There’s a well-known belief – even among medical and nutritional experts – that it’s just natural for older folks to gain weight, even when they don’t eat more or exercise less, and there’s nothing that can be done about it. But now, there’s evidence that a previously unknown body mechanism is at work…
Simply exercising more and eating less could help older folks
beat the ‘natural’ predisposition to gain weight.
Many medical and nutritional experts have long held that gaining weight as we get older is just natural for many folks and little research has been done on the phenomenon – until now. Conventional wisdom has held that older folks just ‘slow down’, tending to eat more and exercise less. Gaining weight has been considered a natural result of those ‘inevitable’ trends. Now researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have found a specific reason for elder weight gain.
What they did
The scientists studied the fat cells in 54 men and women over an average period of 13 years. In that time, all subjects, regardless of whether they gained or lost weight, showed decreases in lipid turnover in the fat tissue; that is the rate at which lipid (or fat) in the fat cells is removed and stored.
What they found
Those who didn’t compensate for slowing lipid turnover by eating fewer calories gained weight by an average of 20 percent.
The takeaway
Prior studies have shown that one way to speed up the lipid turnover in the fat tissue is to exercise more. This new research supports that notion and further indicates that the long-term result of weight-loss surgery would improve if combined with increased physical activity. And combining increased exercise with eating less could make a really big difference in the quality of life of seniors by reducing their ‘natural’ predisposition to weight gain and obesity.
My take
So get out there, 65-and-overs and get more exercise! Like golf? Play at least 9 holes a week. Walk everyday. Take a ‘swimmercise’ class at the community pool. There are lots of things you can do to be more active. And cut down on portion sizes on your meal plates while upping the proportion of fresh foods you eat. Those two changes to your daily routine and habits could bring a big improvement in your life!
~ Maggie J.