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As we age, we often notice how fast we gain pounds and how slow we lose weight. And with these physiological changes, we end up dealing with a number of health conditions. We become more vulnerable to heart problems, arthritis, and falls. But what exactly is the cause of these processes? This article gives a peek at the three of the most common reasons by science why old people find it hard to lose weight as they get older.
Research at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has discovered that older adults' rate of ability to remove fat from the body decreases. This is lipid turnover and which is the main reason why older adults struggle in losing weight as they age more. As we age, there is a greater tendency for us to gain weight, more so if we engage in less physical activity as we should be having and if the more unhealthy we’re becoming as we live a more sedentary lifestyle.
By the time you turn 30, your lean muscle mass starts to gradually decline by 3 to 5 percent per decade, more if you’re less active due to age-related conditions, such as arthritis, loss of balance, and impaired reflexes. You become weak with less stamina, which can greatly interfere with your physical activity and further shrinking your muscle. With less muscle the greater weakness and lesser mobility you’ll be experiencing, and both of which may increase your risk of falls and fractures.
As people age, they tend to have a slower metabolism, a physiological process of converting calories into energy, which increases fat stores in the body. Along with the decrease in muscle mass and low levels of physical activity is a slower metabolism. This is because of low levels of physical activity, as well as due to sarcopenia. Having more fat and less muscle reduces calorie burning.
The Takeaway: Aging is inevitable, they say. But just because you're getting old does not mean you’re stuck on your chair and rely on the younger loved ones to take care of you and your needs. Older people lose more muscle mass and gain more weight fast because of a sedentary lifestyle. It only takes moving your body to rebuild your muscles and maintain your weight, and science has shown that a way to speed up the lipid turnover, increase your muscle, and improve your metabolism is to exercise more.
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