Can You Prevent "Middle-Age Spread"?

It's "widely" believed to be inevitable—that thickening around the hips and middle that seems to expand with age. In truth, certain physiological factors can make weight gain increasingly more likely as we age. Around age 30, the amount of muscle in our bodies begins to slowly decline, which causes the body's metabolic—or calorie-burning—rate to slow down. Since many people continue to eat the same amount, lost muscle is often replaced by fat.

How Much Is Too Much?

Many American adults gain about 20 pounds between the ages of 25 and 55. This weight gain generally peaks in the early 40s for men and in the 50s for women. For people who were overweight in early adulthood, continuing to gain weight throughout middle age can create problems.

Concern about added pounds goes beyond the aesthetic. According to research, the risk for some health problems begins to rise when adults gain more than 10 pounds after age 18. An 11-pound gain—just 1 pound's difference—may significantly increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Weight gain after menopause also can increase a woman's risk of breast cancer.

The good news is that middle-age weight gain is not a certain fate. While our metabolism does slow with age, the effects can be countered with exercise, healthy diet changes, or a combination of the two.

Strategy #1: Exercise

A 150-pound woman can burn about 140 calories walking at 4 mph for 30 minutes. If she does this for five days, she'll burn 700 calories.

And she may keep burning calories even after she's put in her 30 minutes. Regular exercise may help the body maintain a higher resting metabolic rate. In one study, women between the ages of 50 and 72 who ran or swam long distances had higher resting metabolic rates than their inactive peers. The exercisers burned about 600 more calories a week than the sedentary women—in addition to the calories they expended swimming or running.

In other words, physically active people may burn more calories—even when they are not exercising.

Weight training, in particular, is believed to increase a person's metabolic rate—as well as prevent osteoporosis and improve range of motion. That's because lifting weights is a more effective way to preserve—and even increase—muscle mass than is endurance exercise, such as walking or swimming. And the more muscle a person has, the more calories she or he will burn. After participating in a weight-training program for 12 weeks, participants in one study had to take in about 15% more calories to maintain their pre-study body weight.

Experts say that the physically fit also have more stamina and strength. This makes them more likely to walk to the store, work in the garden, or participate in active pastimes—all of which burn extra calories.

Physical activity, then, is key to preventing middle-age weight gain—as well as losing excess pounds. Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of endurance exercise—such as walking, biking, or swimming—on most days of the week. They also suggest performing strength exercises that work all the major muscle groups two to three times a week.

Making an effort to be more active on a day-to-day basis can also help in weight management. Here are some possible ways to burn extra calories:

Park several blocks from a destination and walk the rest of the way.
Put on some lively music and dance.
Get up during TV commercials and walk in place.
Mow the lawn with a push mower or work in the garden.
Plan walks or bike rides with friends instead of meeting for dinner or a movie.
Run errands on foot or a bicycle, if possible.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Strategy #2: Control Calories

Of course, diet can also play a role in middle-age weight gain. The problem starts when people take in more calories than they burn. Some experts believe that adults tend to put on pounds simply because they aren't very attentive to either the small increases in their weight or small changes in their eating and exercise habits that can eventually lead to excess pounds.

To avoid these problems, try these strategies:

Regularly step on the scale, and cut back on calories when the number begins to tip upward.
Watch portion sizes. For a couple of weeks, use a food scale and measuring cups and spoons to keep portion sizes within recommended sizes—for instance, experts say one serving equals 1/2 cup of rice or 3 ounces of meat.
Select or prepare foods that are steamed, broiled, baked, or roasted. When sautéing foods, use only a small amount of oil, soup broth, or a nonstick spray.
Snack on fruits and vegetables, which are both filling and nutritious.
Watch the condiments. Choose mustard over mayonnaise, and look for low-calorie varieties of salad dressing.
Allow room for the occasional sweet or large meal. The key to weight management is balance.

A Healthy Weight

Finally, it's not necessary to go to extremes in diet and exercise to be healthy. Adults who are at a healthy weight now can help avoid the common curse of middle-age spread with those reliable stand-bys: exercising and watching what they eat. Those who are overweight can begin to reap positive health benefits after losing just 10% of their weight.