How to prevent weight gain as you get older
Remember the slogan “The danger of a kilo a year”? The Nutrition Center warned more than a decade ago that – if you are not careful – you will see the number on the scale rise further and further. Is it true that as you get older you naturally gain weight without noticing? And what can be done about that? Health net asked three dieticians for advice.
Your lifestyle and your body may change as you get older, but does that make the pounds creep on you? “That is absolutely true,” says Marloes Waardijk. “As long as you continue to live exactly the same.”
“Most people do get a little fatter as they get older,” Natalia Ruiz Oud agrees. “But a kilo sounds like a lot to me. And from what age do you start counting?”
Vivian Meijer also nuances the kilo per year. “The Nutrition Center probably looks at averages, but it is different for each person. It is possible that different living and eating habits creep in, so that you take in more calories and exercise less and therefore gain weight unnoticed. But there are also people who actually eat less. as they get older and lose weight. That too can happen unnoticed.”
Metabolism slows down
“The main cause of weight gain as you get older is that your muscle mass gradually decreases. Your body starts to consist of a greater part of fat. As a result, your resting metabolism decreases: muscles use energy almost constantly, but fat does not,” says Marloes . Being less active also plays a major role. “In the past you were constantly running after your children, the housework was heavier or you took the bicycle more often. Many elderly people start to move less without noticing. If you continue to eat the same as before, you will gain weight automatically.”
That combination of a slower metabolism and inactivity is disastrous, Natalia emphasizes. “It’s one and one, your metabolism is already slowing down and many older people become inactive. Even if you keep eating the same, you will gain weight.”
Transition
Women are unlucky anyway because of the hormonal changes they have to deal with. “After the menopause you have a lower metabolism. Although they do not change their lifestyle, they often notice that they gain some weight or that their body shapes change,” says Vivian.
According to Natalia, the annoying menopausal symptoms can also lead to a more gloomy mood, so that you quickly look for comfort with a piece of chocolate. In addition, she sees that many women who are going through the menopause sleep less well. “Bad sleepers often gain weight. If you are tired during the day, your body asks for extra energy from fast sugars”.
Changes in other areas can also have an impact, Vivian adds. “Moving or a new partner with different lifestyles, for example. And disorders. Someone can gain weight quickly if he is in a prediabetic phase, which is called insulin resistance. The body can then no longer handle large amounts of carbohydrates, which makes you heavier.”
How do you maintain your weight?
“If I look at the elderly in my area who remain slim, they are people who are still very active,” says Natalia. “I think that’s the secret. Many people cycle and walk, but strength training keeps your muscle mass intact. You really don’t have to go to the gym for that, you can do some training at home with weights, squats and planks.” Moreover, there is not 10 kilograms extra in one go, so intervene as soon as you gain a kilo and then sharpen your eating and exercise pattern.
“Be aware of what you eat and keep moving!” advises Vivian. She also warns against misleading packaging and advertisements. “Look at the ingredients, you will find the truth on the back of the package. Ingredients that you do not recognize at all, your body often does not recognize, so your body does not know how to deal with them. The longer the ingredient list, the the more likely you are to buy something unhealthy.”
Marloes: “Try to move a little more and pay a little more attention to your diet. I always advise my clients to keep it feasible in the longer term. For some, being 3 or 4 kilograms overweight is better than a lifelong fight against the pounds.”
Liesbeth van Rossum is an internist and endocrinologist and Mariette Boon is an internist in training and researcher into brown fat. Together they wrote the bestseller ‘Fat important‘. This duo knows all about body fat and how you can influence it. Do you want to lose weight? Listen to the podcast below before you start a diet, because then you can avoid common mistakes.
This article was produced in collaboration with:
- Natalia Ruiz Oud, dietician, nutritionist and lifestyle coach at MyDailyLifestyle.
- Marloes Waardijk, dietician, exercise and lifestyle advisor and blogger at OptimaVita.nl.
- Vivian Meijer, dietician, health & lifestyle coach, affiliated with DietPlanet.
