Normal weight gain with age?

[Tobra]

BMI is a nonsense statistic for the most part.

For example, when I was in college and podiatry school, I was about 195 lb, which according to that chart, meant I was morbidly obese. At the time, I had a 4% body fat and my thighs were bigger than my waist. If I were at the center of the ideal range, I would weigh 150# and people would be asking if I had an eating disorder.

The primary reason for weight gain in older people is diminished metabolism and activity. If you are less active, you have to eat less or you put on fat.

You lose lean muscle mass, bone density and flexibility too, or will tend to do so.

[Evans, Marv]

I think a lot of it is genetics and life style in general. I'm now 68 and weigh around 170 at 5'10" with a waist of right at 32". I'm barely inside the healthy BMI index at around 24. Moses said his caloric intake indicator may be off, but it allows me to eat around 2,600 calories/day - maybe a little less. I don't think I would be that comfortable eating that much, but I imagine I take in around 80% of that. I was at 148 in my senior year of HS, 156 when I was drafted, 139 when I was released, 165 at around 30, 170 more or less from 40 to 55. I did go up to 180 for a while when setting behind a desk before retirement, but dropped back to the low 170's after retirement when I got more normally active. During the last half of HS, I put out a huge amount of energy between football, track, and my night job loading semi trucks at a dairy 4 nights a week. I think that amount of activity (true or not) set my metabolism up for a decently high level for the rest of my life. I've always been active with sporty activities such as hiking, climbing, skiing, diving, bike riding, weight training, and just plain walking, but I've never been radically committed to any of them and just done what I liked, as much as I liked, for as long as I liked. I have always eaten what I liked, but have never "lived to eat, but just ate to live" and always stopped eating when I felt I had eaten enough. To me that's a normal life for anybody, and I'm far from perfect. I see lots of other people spending most of their time sitting around (hey, you high post count guys), eating a lot, drinking some, and generally not being interested in getting out of the house. To me, that's not normal. So after all this rambling, It would seem to me if most people got off of the couch and up from the table more and had some interest in a normal amount of physical activity, there would be many less overweight people in society. Obviously I'm not saying (and don't believe) people should become anorexic exercise nuts, but just mostly do what people were normally designed to do. There will always be thin people and heavier people genetically, but I think the distribution should follow the bell curve. Right now that curve is skewed to the heavier side because of an excessively artificial life style.

[gatotom]

getting Old ain't for wimps......you got to use it or you will lose it and that is a fact.

Case in point, at 26 my legs were so big I couldn't get into a pair of size 30 waist blue jeans, actually my waist was 28 but the legs wouldn't fit and I tilted the scale at 155-160.

Fast forward to now, age 62 weight give or take 180, with alot of miles ridden in the summer get down to 175 but those thighs are now sticks compared to the good Ol' days.

Also I lost almost an inch, used to be 6-0 now 5-11. Before they throw you in the box you will probably lose 2-3 inches. To be like Jack Lalaine you have to be a madman of working out daily.

Those days of eating ice cream, donuts and cakes, pies and eating chips or junk food are over. During those winter months turn off the tube and go work out. If you got a bike trainer ride 1/2 to 1 hour in front of the tube.

[Sarc]

Originally Posted by The Gaijin

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".

I've been dabbling in "primal" for a couple months (similar in some regards to paleo) and have been amazed with the results. Been spending a lot of time over at Mark's Daily Apple.

[DARISC]

Do any mammals other than humans "get fat"? Could be I'm wrong but I'm thinking they don't because to them food is primarily fuel.

To we humans it's that and much more. Food is part of so many of our social traditions and customs, ranging from wedding receptions to tailgate parties and is not eaten at those events primarily to fuel up; rather, it's just part of socializing and not a matter of survival.

Do any mammals in the wild include food in their social behaviors? Were there any overweight cavemen back in the day?

The food as fuel concept was driven home to me years ago when I got into Hatha Yoga (I don't think there are any fat Yogis) and reached the point where I became aware of the signals my body would send my brain when I ate too much sugar, fat or whatever - or just ate "too much".

It was pretty amazing to me at the time. My eating habits and food preferences changed for the better as I dropped my unwanted lbs. by the month. The amazing part to me then was that there was no conscious thought or effort involved in eating healther, I'd feel sick or uncomfortable after eating to excess or eating the "wrong" foods. In a year or so I was within five lb.s of my HS graduation weight (I was fit and not at all overweight at that time).

Over the years I've gone off and on my yoga routine several times for various reasons (divorce, other stressful issues) and always gained weight, going as high as 235 lbs.

Each time, when I came to my senses, it was more difficult to lose the weight. I'm 6' 1 1/2" and I've been at +/_ 193 lbs for many years now, which I think is right for me. I weighed 185 when I graduated HS.

I'm real weight conscious because I'm the oldest of three sons and was a kinda fat baby and kid until puberty, when I sprang up to my current height and thinned down.

The men in my family were, with the exception of two uncles, overweight with pot bellys (Pennsy Dutch beer drinkers ) and I did not want to end up that way myself. When I was about 14 my ex-Sea Bee uncle (not one of the fat ones) gave me a couple of his old tapered cut custom tailored khaki uniform shirts that fit me great. I wore them (out) with much pride.

So, weight gain has always been an important issue for me (I can gain weight with incredible ease and speed). After my first balooning (after I got married the first time) I vowed to return to be able to wear the same size Levi shrink to fit jeans I wore in HS. Never quite made it but am within 1" of that waste size and weigh less than 10 lbs more than then.

I hear people say, ahhh, it's normal to gain weight as you get older. Maybe so, but I'm convinced it's not natural.

Funny, I've dabbled in the computer dating world from time to time over the last few years and quickly learned that when a women (probably applies to men too - haven't looked) describes herself in her on-line profile as "average" weight (the most commonly used description), that may be true; but in our sadly obese society, that means fat. Being extremely shallow, I would just move on down the bean row and keep looking.

I'm curious how the three basic body types, ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph, figure into charts such as the one posted above.

[The Gaijin]

Originally Posted by Sarc

I've been dabbling in "primal" for a couple months (similar in some regards to paleo) and have been amazed with the results. Been spending a lot of time over at Mark's Daily Apple.

I get links to that site all the time, and enjoy it. The primal/paleo world can be really interesting, with some very hard core folks. Some don't consume any dairy for example. The first month is the toughest, but it really works!

[jyl]

I found a study of lean mass in 1,200 average men (not specifically athletes) aged from 30 to 80 y/o.

"Lean mass" here is body weight, less fat mass and bone mass. It looks like lean mass stayed pretty constant from 30 to 59 y/o, then declined from 60 y/o on. The ratio of lean mass to height only declines a little throughout the period, reflecting getting shorter after about age 60 y/o. Grip strength declines steadily during the period, suggesting a steady decline in muscle tone.

Statistically speaking this is not a great study - cross-sectional not time series, for one thing - but still interesting. Suggests that if you don't add fat mass, there is not a inherent reason to get heavier as you age from 30 y/o on. Makes my avoirdupois even less tolerable.

BioMed Central | Full text | Lean mass, muscle strength, and physical function in a diverse population of men: a population-based cross-sectional study

[vash]

i could eat alot less.

on my hiking hunting trip..my stomach felt empty all the time. i was hungry, but never really uncomfortable. day in/day out..hard hiking. i didnt starve, and felt better the entire time..

i really should cut way back. but food is so delicious..

[Superman]

Originally Posted by Moses

Americans confuse boredom with hunger. I'm serious.

I know. I look around, and all I see are overweight people. There are relatively few HWP people. A HS girl who is overweight by only 15 lbs is "svelt" by today's standards. Most of the adults I see around town are positively hippopotomi.

I'm no angel. Weighed 135 at HS graduation, 165 today. I've got a belly!!!! Where'd that come from?

One final thing, that I found very interesting. Research consistently shows that for all creatures of any size or complexity, the less you feed it the longer it lives. Seriously. Results are statistically consistent and valid.

[strupgolf]

In the late 80"s, I could run 3 miles without any pain and loved it, heat or cold, I weighed 187. 23 years later, I have a bad heal, don't have the energy to run, and weigh 209. As you age, your body gets tired and you tend to put off doing the exercise thing. I'm now getting better, lost 5 pounds since september because of drinking less beer. But age does matter to anyone who is weight challanged like I was since a teen.

[jyl]

I see another PPOT Weight Loss Challenge soon . . .

[epbrown]

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"...

But it is - as we age, our metabolisms slow, so we burn fewer calories, and most people don't reduce caloric intake, which means they gain weight. Athletes are the worst because they're used to taking in lots more fuel than a sedentary person.

[aigel]

I can see some weight gain due to higher muscle mass into your mid 20s. After that you should stay the same weight or less.

I have dogs and keep them trim. With age they get lighter. Their muscle mass goes down with age after they reach adulthood. This is true for horses cows etc.

Like others have said, just because the stats say it is a fact doesn't mean it is normal, leave alone healthy! That includes athletes. Look at George Foreman ...

George

[DARISC]

Calories = fuel.

Eat x calories, burn x calories: all fuel is burned = no loss or gain of wght.

Eat x + n calories, burn x calories: the n calories of excess, unburned fuel are stored as fat = wght. gain.

Eat x calories, burn x + n calories: all x calories of fuel are burned; the shortage of n calories of fuel is then obtained from stored fat = wght. loss.

Doesn't the above apply to everyone, regardless of age?

[ChkbookMechanic]

I know people tend to gain weight with age, but I think it is due to people becoming less active (sitting in front of a desk all day tends to not help). To buck the trend, it takes a lifestyle change and an iron will -- a diet (as most people see it) is temporary and will never work in the long run. Working out and better eating habits have to become part of the daily routine.

I've become a pretty big health nut and working out is a large part of my life now. In high school I was 6'2" and weighed about 150; during undergraduate and my MS degree I ballooned up to 240; now, at 32, I weigh 185 (still 6'2") and am in much better shape than I was even during high school. I work out every day of the week for about an hour; and some days two hours. I'm not a fan of BMI since it doesn't really tell you what you need to know. I find body fat calipers a better way to measure how much fat I have. I don't even worry about using the formulas to convert it to a body fat percentage anymore. I just note how much I have at the various measurement sites on my body; but, last I checked my Body Fat was sitting around 9 to 10%. However, I find going by the mirror is a much better gauge of where I want to be.

Also, taking it upon myself to start cooking made a vast improvement in my health. I now eat much better since I now exactly what is going into my food and into my body. I still enjoy going to restaurants, but, I'm much pickier about what I eat.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by The Gaijin

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".
.

My friend lived like that for years - your diet sounds like his except for the fruit. He didn't eat much fruit. He developed uric acid stones in his kidneys about 2 years ago. The doc said his kidney stones may be a result of his diet. He'll be a vegetarian for the rest of his life.

[Moses]

Originally Posted by DARISC

Calories = fuel.

Eat x calories, burn x calories: all fuel is burned = no loss or gain of wght.

Eat x + n calories, burn x calories: the n calories of excess, unburned fuel are stored as fat = wght. gain.

Eat x calories, burn x + n calories: all x calories of fuel are burned; the shortage of n calories of fuel is then obtained from stored fat = wght. loss.

Doesn't the above apply to everyone, regardless of age?

Sort of...

If you eat the same amount at 40 as you did at 20 and maintain the exact same exercise regimen... you will gain weight.

Your cellular metabolic rate degrades over time. It's unavoidable.

[304065]

Originally Posted by 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.

Bill, great personal anecdote. I guess that means we have to get together at Zum Stammtisch out in Queens for a few beers, a few jokes and some Gemutlichkeit!

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by jyl

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

1/2 lb per year (after the age of around 30 or 35, IIRC). Not inevitable, as you point out, but what's considered "normal."

[gt350mike]

My post college weight was about 185 lbs which was about 20 lbs more than when I left high school without increasing my waist size of 34", but the increase was due to growing (vertically) and the Army. Today I'm hovering around 205 lbs and my waist is 36" and according to the BMI calculator used by the Army, I'm around 21%. The charts that have been posted are great starting points, but you really have to use other means to determine your BMI. Here is a link to the calculator that we use and I consider it to be accurate, without getting into more complicated (or costly) means of determining your BMI.

Army Body Fat Calculator