Middle-Age Spread May Reduce Chance of Long Life
Lots of people think it's okay, normal even, to pack on 10 pounds or more a decade. We call it middle-age spread. But, those extra pounds may decrease a woman's risk of leading a long, healthy life free of chronic disease.
Published in the British Medical Journal, this latest study to tackle the connection between weight gain and life expectancy, found the more weight a woman gained in mid-life, the less likely she was to be healthy and disease free (or even alive) after age 70.
When researchers studied information about 17,000 women involved in the Nurses Health Study, they found that just 9.9 percent of them were healthy after age 70. "Healthy" was defined as being free of one of 11 diseases, mobile, and with good cognitive functioning.
The key to being in that 10 percent was maintaining a healthy weight throughout life.
Obese women, on the other hand, were 79 percent less likely to be healthy and alive after age 70, and those who were at the greatest risk of disease or early death were those who were overweight at age 18, and gained more than 20 pounds.
There's still debate over why obesity shortens a person's life span, but avoiding that weight gain early in life appears to give women an advantage when they're older.
Here are a few tips for avoiding the dreaded middle age spread:
- Cut calories as you age. Caloric needs are highest in youth, but you'll need less as you age. If you find yourself getting thicker in the middle, cut back 10 to 15 percent, or increase physical activity.
- Control portions. You don't have to deny yourself your favorite foods, but you do have to watch how much you eat. Stick to a healthy diet 80 percent of the time, and make room for small treats now and then.
- Avoid processed foods. Simple carbs especially, settle right in your middle -- a dangerous place to gain weight.
- Stay active. Exercise will help you maintain your weight, but it will also protect your heart, lungs, and bones as you get older.
- Set a limit. Weigh in or put on your snuggest jeans at least once a week. If you gain over five pounds or can't button up, it's time to scale back.
If you've already gained the weight, check out our tips and tools category to help you get back on the road to fitness.
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Good suggestions to help fight the aging hormones. I have been fighting them for 4+++ years now with perimenopause. I am a very active & fit person that eats healthy, does cardio, weights, core & flexibility and the "body holding on to weight" still hit me. I upped my workouts a bit in intensity even though I work out hard already & modified the food. I did cut out some calories but not to excess but I also changed my protein/carb/fat ratio. Actually, the fat % stayed about the same but I worked with the protein/carb ratio along with just the foods I was eating.
Also, today is LIVESTRONG Day & ,any bloggers are passing that on. You can come to my sight if you care to know more. A breast cancer survivor contacted me & asked me to post today about this & to link to her site which I have done. Let's beat cancer!
ReplyOnly 9.9% of people are "healthy" after age 70? Wow, that's depressing. What are the 11 diseases you have to be free from in order to be considered "healthy"? I would think diabetes and cancer would be among them, but still...I don't know that I'd want to live much past 70 if I weren't healthy. My grandma is 76 and she's still in great health. I don't think she really gained a lot of weight in middle age; she's always kind of stayed about the same weight. She's not really slim, but she's not obese, either. I wonder if it's worse to gain weight as you age or stay the same weight the whole time even if it's a higher weight than what's ideal.
I'm nearing 30 and I'm noticing that I can't quite eat how I used to. I can't eat as many carbs as I could before, so I've had to tweak my diet as I age to include more protein and fat and fewer carbs so I don't gain weight. I suppose I'll probably have to cut a few more calories as I age, but I think if you're smart about it, you can still eat well and be slim. I plan on staying fit long into old age...no middle age spread for me!
ReplyThanks for the tips! I definately agree with regular weighing. You cant ignore or not notice weight increases when you are monitoring and tracking your weight regularly.
My Dad turned 70 earlier this year and is a picture of health. He watches his food and exercises every day. He's the only 70 year old I know with a 6 pack stomach! But, I know he's in the minority, as many of his friends are struggling with illness or have died in the last 3 years.
ReplyThis is not about the content. Please allow me to ask english words issue...
Bethany said, " those extra pounds may decrease a woman's risk of leading a long, healthy life free of chronic disease."
I felt weird the word, "risk" in this sentence. I think "chance" would be appropriate, because "risk" sounds negative to me as a Japanese.
Yuji from Japan
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