Normal weight gain with age?

[jyl]

Here is a question on weight gain and aging. Kind of a follow on to some recent discussions on obesity and diabetes.

Is it natural to gain weight as you age? Is it inevitable?

Some information I found.

A study in the UK of 1200 men and women. The average man gained between 10 and 20 lb per decade, starting at age 39. This is just average joes, not fitness buffs.

A study in the US of 4000 male runners from 18 to 50. The average runner gained 3.3 lb per decade.

Information I found on boxers. I went looking for this because boxers are weighed for each fight, and they need speed and mobility. A sample of lighter weight (not heavyweights, who can be kinda pudgy) professional boxers gained 30-40 lb during their careers. One of the boxers who gained the least was Sugar Ray Leonard. He went from 140 lb in 1976 (Olympic champion light welterweight) to 165 lb in 1988 (won super middleweight title).

Then I looked for information on the fittest athletes of all, in the most grueling sport by far, that is incredibly weight sensitive. You can guess what that is - professional cycling. Unfortunately, cyclists' weights aren't reported consistently and fluctuate during the TdF, when they can lose 10 lb despite eating 10,000 calories/day. Lance Armstrong appears to have maintained roughly 165 lb for his career.

So my conclusion was that, unless you are a genetic and athletic freak like Lance, you will tend to gain weight as you age. From 3-4 lb per decade if you run seriously, to 20 lb per decade if you're on the porkier side of average Joe-Dom.

My question is, does this match up with what we know about human physiology? What part of the body inherently gets heavier with age? We know that after 30, muscle mass and tone tends to go downhill, but even if converted to fat, that should weigh less not more.

So why do people, even very fit people, get heavier as they get older?

Does this happen with other animals? Not sturgeon and such species who never stop growing, or housecats who get fat and lazy like their owners. I mean like wild lions, eagles, orcas.

[look 171]

I was a competivite cyclist at the age of 16. Ran x-country in the winter to keep my heart in shape for races in the Spring. By 18 or 19 I was doing 400 miles a week. 200+ of those were hard and very fast pace training miles. I ate like a pig. I was 140 lbs for a long time. I gain 3-5 lbs in the winter. I was always between 145-148lbs until I turn 30. During those years, I was a bike bum. All I did was train, raced, and worked. I completely stop riding after 32 or 33. I stuffed my face the same way except now they were restaurant foods. 10 years on, now I am 160-165 and have a big fat azz. I hate it. My plan is to lose 10 lbs. I love food. I can't seem to stop eating.

Jeff

[sc_rufctr]

At 26 I left the Army and like most Jo's I gained weight... My weight had been stable at 74kg (163 pounds).
Before I knew it I was getting FAT. I was working as a nurse at the time so that helped keep the weight off but...

About 7 years later, at 33 I was a real Buddha at 110kg. - (242 pounds)

Divorce at 37. I'm around 100kg (220 pounds) and stable...
At 42 I start walking every evening and stopped eating everything in front of me.

I'm now about 80kg (176 pounds) and getting lighter every week. So I've lost 20kg (44 pounds) in 3 years.

I would like to get down to 74kg (163 pounds) again.

Don't let anybody tell you it's normal to gain weight as you get older.
Just because most people do it doesn't make it "normal" or "correct"...

My biggest motivation >>> There's a history of type 2 Diabetes in my family.

[aap1966]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Don't let anybody tell you it's normal to gain weight as you get older.
Just because most people do it doesn't make it "normal" or "correct"...

This is absolutely correct.
I spend half my professional life telling people that.
The fact that most ignore me will put my kids through College.

BTW, the 200 lbs of muscle when you were 20 and playing football / rowing / in the military is not the same as the 200 lb you carry when you're 40. (for 90% of the population)

[azasadny]

"Average" adult gains 1-2 lbs a year after 18 that they will never lose. So, by the time you're 40, you're carrying an extra 20lbs or so from what you weighed at 18.

[Rednine11]

I'm no Dr but I think a big part of the problem with male weight gain after 30 is because our Testosterone levels drop significantly at that time. That's why we lose muscle mass and gain fat.

[89911]

I think for most, what comes naturally at an earlier age becomes more difficult as you age. It is very EASY to add weight and it has become somewhat acceptable. Take a look at the latest BMI charts and you can see where you fall.




It took a lot of work to get my 6' frame in the "healthy" region of the charts. I'm at 175. I actually could get all the way down to 140 and still be considered ok in the BMI charts. A lot of observers look at these charts and just think they are ridiculous. Being slightly to mildly overweight has become the norm for most of us.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by jyl

So why do people, even very fit people, get heavier as they get older?

One reason - arthritis and other age-related physical problems make it harder to exercise.

[jyl]

Interesting chart. I've gotten from the border of "high risk/overweight" to the first (right-most) "low risk" square. I'm trying to move left some more.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

One reason - arthritis and other age-related physical problems make it harder to exercise.

Yeah, that and we just get lazy and eat more...

JR

[FPB111]

According to the chart I am 11" short. I just spritzed myself with Miracle Grow. I plan to get to 7' 9".

[The Gaijin]

The Aussies are correct.

It is our crap diets and societal norms catching up with us. Show up to a High School 25th or 30th reunion being the same size as 12th grade and you will be the odd man out... Also, arthritis and many other age-related physical problems are a direct result of what we eat and lack of physical activity.

I have spent my adult life as a typically 10 - 25 pound overweight adult. I ate "well" by usual standards, did a lot of walking and very active on weekends. But if I wanted to lose weight - I had to concisely eat less than I wanted too..

A year and a half ago I joined a great gym. (Mid 40's) Lots of body-weight exercises, running (no stupid jogging), and free weights (no dumb-asz machines). And yes, it took a long time to get in shape (age does make a difference), and it has been a lot of work.

This new year I started eating "paleo". No bread, no pasta, no rice - no grains at all. That eliminates most processed and junk food as well. All good veggies, meats, nuts and fruit. All dense foods that give you the energy you need. Eating this way is wonderfully self adjusting. You eat what you want and as much as you want. No cravings, and I rarely if ever feel "starving".

So yup, I am pretty fit. And have lost weight (and moved it out of my gut!), so no - it is not inevitable.

[Moses]

These numbers are from memory, and may be wrong, but you'll get the general idea...

A newborn baby requires 240 calories/kg body weight/day to maintain weight.

A 20 year old requires 120 cal/kg/day.

A 40 year old requires 60 cal/kg/day

A 60 year old requires 33 cal/kg/day

So... Every 20 years your dietary input should be reduced by half if you want to maintain weight.

Again, these numbers are imprecise, but give you the general idea.

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by The Gaijin

The Aussies are correct...

We have plenty of fat people here too.

Diabetes and heart disease are at ridiculously high levels and every second show on TV is about Cooking or Being the next Iron Chef.
You'd think that would promote better eating.

What helped me is finding a way to suppress my appetite and dealing with my emotional issue that had been haunting me for years.
So I cut out a lot of bread, pasta, potatoes and rice. I enjoy steak and fresh salads.
If I have to snack at night it's a small server of pop corn or a low carb health bar.

The emotional stuff was much harder. I had to get over my marriage failure. Raising my kids on my own helped me face up to were I was in life.

I promise you it gets better. Don't make excessive work. Spoil yourself and have fun.

[89911]

Exercise can be over rated for actual weight loss. The benefits for your overall wellbeing is very clear, but if you look at the calories burned, its not much. I'll give you my example. I run 5 miles 3 times a week. It generally takes me about 40 minutes a run and I burn about 700 calories a run. Thats about one cheeseburger. Skip an extra snack and you equal your run. I lost most of my extra 15 pounds prior to running by just following a few easy principles. Make healthier food choices. Eat only at designated meals. Avoid any fast food. No eating after 9:00pm (that was the toughest). Limit alcohol to 1-2 glasses of red wine a day. Nothing earth shattering about it.

[Moses]

Americans confuse boredom with hunger. I'm serious.

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by FPB111

According to the chart.....

I'm so far into the red that it looks like a sunset around here.

Originally Posted by Moses

A 40 year old requires 60 cal/kg/day

170 lb = 77 kg
77 * 60 = 4620 cal

There's no way a person could consume 4620 cal per day and maintain 170 lb weight. Where's the math error?

[jyl]

I know I do. But I learned that I can cook instead of eat.

Originally Posted by Moses

Americans confuse boredom with hunger. I'm serious.

[LeeH]

Moses posted exactly what I was thinking. As hard as it is to face the facts, we need fewer calories as we age. The other thing to consider is that AVERAGE does not necessarily equal NORMAL.

During high school I weighed around 175 (6' tall) but lived in the weight room. I ate anything I wanted starting each day with two heaping bowls of cereal yet had a 31" waist.

Today at 46 I weigh 167. I still exercise regularly, but no one has asked me, "How much do you bench?" in a long time! Breakfast now is one measured cup of cereal. My wife is an amazing cook/baker. It would be so easy to give in to the temptations that come out of the oven. I feel like it's a real effort to stay in shape, spending way more time on cardio than I ever did when I was younger. If I'm not paying attention I can get up in the 170s. But, where 175 in high school= 30" waist, 173 today=34" waist. Generally it's still around 32-33" but it takes a huge (mental) effort to keep it that way.

[Zeke]

I'm just barely a "low risk" according to the chart. But, the chart needs to have another layer added for ageing. I know that our "frame" expands as we age. You could have 6-pack abs at age 60 but your waist size will be larger. Perhaps 4-6 inches larger. The weight is there.