It's noticeable that with age, losing excess weight becomes more difficult. Weight not only decreases slowly, but it can accumulate more rapidly. But why? And can diet be modified to address this?
In response to this question, endocrinologist and nutritionist Dr. Oksana Mikhaleva points out that many people mistakenly believe that thyroid dysfunction is the cause. However, in most cases, the cause lies in a slower metabolism, which leads to a gradual decrease in muscle mass with age.
She says, "Since muscle is the primary energy-consuming organ, it burns the most calories. Therefore, the more muscle mass you have, the better your calorie burning will be. The less muscle you have, the worse this process will be. Hormones, such as growth hormone and sex hormones, including testosterone, which specifically affects muscle mass, also affect maintaining a normal level of muscle mass."
According to her, therefore, men with significantly higher testosterone levels than women are less likely to become obese. Men also lose weight more easily due to their greater muscle mass.
"But as is well known, the production of various hormones declines with age. This process occurs differently in women and men and at different ages. For example, if we talk about growth hormone, its production begins to decline before the age of 30," she says.
She points out that the key factor in maintaining normal muscle mass is the level of physical activity. Unfortunately, physical activity is insufficient in more than 70 percent (or even 90 percent) of the population, especially the elderly. Both sexes can avoid age-related weight gain by following a healthy diet and engaging in a specific level of physical activity.
