Yes, aging naturally causes weight gain due to a slower metabolism (less muscle, more fat), hormonal shifts (especially menopause in women), and often decreased physical activity, leading to more calories stored as fat if diet and exercise aren't adjusted. This "middle-age spread" involves gradual fat gain, particularly around organs, and reduced muscle mass, making weight management harder.
It's not necessarily a sign that something is wrong. This weight gain in middle age—known as “middle-age spread”—is a natural consequence of aging. “Your. metabolism tends to slow down as you get older,” says NIH's Dr.
Exercise more: Be sure to get at least the minimum recommended 150 minutes per week of aerobic activity. It can also help to add some intervals of faster or higher intensity activity to your workout routine. Lift weights: To maintain (and even increase) your muscle mass as you age, you need to lift weights.
Because as we age our body produces less NAD which converts nutrition in the blood into energy for our cells. With this reduction, the carbs you have been eating all your life (glucose) now gets stored in fat cells since you didn't burn it.
Why is it harder to lose weight as we age? “Our bodies simply don't respond the way they used to when it comes to changes in diet and exercise,” said Reece. “The ability to exercise hard, recover quickly and the desire to do so, decreases in many people as they get older.”
Weight loss becomes more difficult after 45 due to changes in metabolism, hormone levels, and muscle mass. As we age, our body's ability to burn calories slows down, and hormonal shifts can lead to weight gain, especially around the abdomen.
Females tend to gain the most weight during two key periods: emerging adulthood (late teens to mid-20s) when life changes often disrupt habits, and midlife (around ages 45-55) during menopause due to hormonal shifts that decrease muscle and increase abdominal fat, although the rate of gain slows in later decades. While the 20s see significant overall gain, menopause brings distinct body composition changes and fat redistribution, not just scale weight.
Skin becomes loose and sagging, bones lose their mass, and muscles lose their strength as a result of time spent living life. Most people begin to notice a shift in the appearance of their face around their 40's and 50's, with some also noticing a change in their 30's.
Many women notice an increase in belly fat as they get older even if they don't gain weight. This is likely due to a lower level of estrogen because estrogen seems to have an effect on where fat is located in the body. Genes can contribute to an individual's chances of being overweight or obese too.
Changes in total body weight vary for men and women. Men often gain weight until about age 55, and then begin to lose weight later in life. This may be related to a drop in the male sex hormone testosterone. Women usually gain weight until age 65, and then begin to lose weight.
Adele's significant weight loss wasn't from a quick fix but a two-year journey combining intense strength training, Pilates, hiking, boxing, and cardio, alongside major lifestyle changes focused on managing anxiety, not restrictive diets like the Sirtfood Diet, with workouts happening multiple times daily for mental and physical strength. Her routine included morning weights, afternoon hikes or boxing, and evening cardio, emphasizing getting stronger, which naturally led to fat loss and improved well-being.
There's no single "#1 worst" food, but sugary drinks (soda, juices) and highly processed foods (fried items, sugary snacks, refined carbs, processed meats) are consistently top contenders for weight gain because they're loaded with empty calories, sugar, unhealthy fats, and trigger fat storage, especially visceral fat. Adding processed foods and sugary drinks to your diet quickly increases calorie intake without providing nutrients, making weight gain inevitable, say health experts.
Being active and choosing healthy foods can help you maintain or achieve a healthy weight, feel more energetic, and decrease your chances of having other health problems. It's important to choose foods rich in nutrients and aim for at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week.
If you gain 2 to 3 pounds a day, or 5 pounds a week, you should see your provider. It's also important to see them if you gain 5% or more of your body weight in a month. This type of unexpected weight gain may be a sign of an underlying health condition.
Signs you're aging well include physical vitality (easy movement, good balance, strength for daily tasks), sharp cognitive function (curiosity, learning new skills, remembering details), and strong emotional/social health (staying connected, finding purpose, managing stress). It's about maintaining independence, a positive mindset, and actively engaging in activities you enjoy, not just looking younger, though good skin/hair can be indicators too.
Hormonal changes, particularly the decline in hormones like estrogen and testosterone, often lead to an increase in abdominal fat. Furthermore, lifestyle factors such as reduced physical activity, changes in diet, and certain medications can contribute to weight gain as we age.
People naturally lose muscle after 40, especially women after menopause. Because muscle burns more calories than fat, this can slow down your metabolism and make it harder to shake those stubborn pounds.
find that some of the pelvic widening is attributed to hormone-related changes, especially during childbearing years in women. However, both men and women experience a gradual widening of the pelvic bones throughout life. They also hypothesize that much of the widening is remodeling.
Here are 10 common foods that may be contributing to chronic inflammation and belly fat.
According to the doctors on the show, your 40s is when you really start to see major changes in the firmness of your skin. You're dealing with loss of volume and elasticity (leading to skin that appears saggy), as well as more pronounced wrinkles and sun damage, which may lead to conditions like melasma.
Rough, scaly patches (AKs)
Rough patches frequently develop on our hands because the hands get lots of sun. These rough patches may be actinic keratoses (AKs), which are precancerous growths. AKs usually develop in fair-skinned people who are 40 years of age or older.
A "tired look" results from aging-related facial changes, including bone resorption, fat loss, and repetitive muscle activity, leading to hollowed cheeks, wrinkles, and sagging. Additionally, loosening facial ligaments cause features to descend, while reduced collagen and elastin diminish skin radiance.
The best time to weigh yourself is first thing in the morning after you've gone to the restroom but before you eat or drink anything. The reason for this is that your body has had enough time to digest all the food and drinks you've consumed from the day before all while you were getting your beauty sleep.
Skin changes are among the most visible signs of aging. Evidence of increasing age includes wrinkles and sagging skin. Whitening or graying of the hair is another obvious sign of aging.
You're losing fat and gaining muscle
Simply put, fat takes up more space than muscle but doesn't necessarily weigh less. That net positive change shows up in the way your clothes fit.