A published study in Nature Medicine claims to have identified why we find it harder to lose weight as we get older.
Even when maintaining a healthy, balanced diet that’s supported by regular exercise, the majority of people struggle to keep the weight off as they age.
It’s a frustrating truth for many people who find they can’t lose weight – and in some cases simply gain more weight – despite following the same regimens, diets and healthy habits they’ve been following all their lives.
Read more:
How to slow down the aging process
Seven ways to make exercise a daily priority
But now, new research from Sweden finally points to why that is.
As we age, a natural development occurs whereby lipid turnover in our fat tissue decreases.
This directly inhibits our ability to lose decrease our fat stores and, in turn, drop weight.
An experiment that was conducted at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden examined the fat tissue cells of 54 people over the course of 13 years.
Over that time, every subject illustrated a drop in their lipid turnover in their fat tissue – i.e. the rate at which lipids in the fat cells are removed and stored.
Those who failed to compensate for that and didn’t consume any fewer calories experienced weight gain 20 per cent of the time.
“The results indicate for the first time that processes in our fat tissue regulate changes in body weight during ageing in a way that is independent of other factors,” says Peter Arner, professor at the Department of Medicine in Huddinge at Karolinska Institutet and one of the study’s main authors.
“This could open up new ways to treat obesity,” he added.
“Obesity and obesity-related diseases have become a global problem,” says Kirsty Spalding, senior researcher at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at Karolinska Institutet and another of the study’s main authors.
“Understanding lipid dynamics and what regulates the size of the fat mass in humans has never been more relevant,” she said.
How to prevent gradual weight gain as we age
Eat from big to small
Aim to consume most of your food earlier in the day and taper your meal sizes to ensure dinner is the smallest meal you eat. A low-calorie or small breakfast leads to increased feelings of hunger, specifically appetite for sweets, across the course of the day. We burn the calories from a meal 2.5 times more efficiently in the morning than in the evening. So emphasising breakfast over dinner is also good for weight management.
Use chopsticks, a teaspoon or an oyster fork
Sit at the table for dinner and use different utensils to encourage eating more slowly. This gives your brain time to recognise and adapt to signals from your stomach telling you you’re full.
Eat the full rainbow
Fill your plate with vegetables and fruits of different colours first to support eating a high-fibre, nutrient-dense diet that will keep you feeling full and satisfied. Meals also need to be balanced and include a source of protein, wholegrain carbohydrates and healthy fat to meet our dietary needs – for example, eggs on wholegrain toast with avocado.
Reach for nature first
Retrain your brain to rely on nature’s treats – fresh vegetables, fruit, honey, nuts and seeds. In their natural state, these foods release the same pleasure response in the brain as ultra-processed and fast foods, helping you avoid unnecessary calories, sugar, salt and unhealthy fats.
Choose to move
Look for ways to incorporate incidental activity into your daily routine – such as taking the stairs instead of the lift – and boost your exercise by challenging yourself to try a new activity. Just be sure to include variety, as doing the same activities every day often results in boredom and avoidance.
Prioritise sleep
Set yourself a goal of getting a minimum of seven hours of uninterrupted sleep each night, and help yourself achieve it by avoiding screens for an hour or two before bed.
Weigh yourself regularly
Getting into the habit of weighing yourself weekly is a guaranteed way to help avoid the kilos creeping up on us. Aim to weigh yourself on the same day, at the same time and in the same environment each week and use the best quality scales you can afford.
