SLOW, SUBTLE WEIGHT GAIN IS COMMON AS WE AGE, influenced by a number of factors including genetics, poor sleep, stress, and the loss of muscle mass that typically occurs with every decade. "Most of us do tend to gain weight as we get older," says Lawrence Cheskin, M.D., professor and chair of the department of nutrition and food studies at George Mason University and coauthor of Weight Loss for Life: The Proven Plan for Success. "But forget about how much you weighed years ago. The question is, what's a reasonable weight for you now?" In fact, weight doesn't tell the whole story of your health. There's also the percentage of fat, bone, and muscle in your body. "What's important is to maintain muscle and bone mass," says Nikhil Dhurandhar, Ph.D., past president of the Obesity Society and chairman of the department of nutritional sciences and Helen Devitt Jones Endowed Professor at Texas Tech University. And, he adds, if you need to shed pounds for your health, focus on fat loss, not weight loss.
Where excess fatty tissue is distributed also matters, says Dr. Cheskin. Fat around your middle is riskier: Visceral fat, which surrounds organs such as the kidneys and the spleen, produces chemicals that damage blood vessels, influence blood sugar levels, and increase the risk of conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. If you store fat around your belly, it's particularly important to maintain a healthy weight.
SETTING THE RIGHT HEALTH GOALS
Healthy bodies come in different sizes, so you and your doc should discuss your objectives. "If you're dealing with rising blood sugar or blood pressure, these things are fixable," says Dr. Cheskin. For instance, you don't have to fit into the pants you wore before you had kids, but you can discuss what amount of weight loss would help you achieve your goal of lowering your blood pressure.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2023 من Prevention US.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2023 من Prevention US.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
The Hormone Specialist
Here's what an endocrinologist wants you to know about diabetes, weight, and more.
are you swiping right?
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO DATE AFTER 50 AND HOW TO ACTUALLY MEET SOMEONE GREAT
NATURAL FIXES Migraine Management
Try these holistic remedies for frequent headaches.
5 MYTHS ABOUT PET HEALTH
Many of us fret more about our furry family members' well-being than about our own. That's all the more reason to clear up fuzzy thinking.
EAT for better skin
YOU CAN HAVE A PERFECTLY CURATED SKINCARE LINEUP and still feel as if you're missing a piece of the healthy-skin puzzle.
Beauty TOOLS and TECH
If you don't like the look and feel of peach fuzz on your face, dermaplaning may be a solution.
Craft your perfect SKINCARE ROUTINE
Applying products in the wrong sequence can diminish efficacy and therefore results, because of either the texture or the ingredients.
Let's Talk About WRINKLES
I've kept that video handy these last 12 years because it is hilarious, but also as a reminder: Caring more than fleetingly about my wrinkles (and gray hair and menobod) feels out of sync with my values.
Common SKIN CONCERNS, solved
Eczema is an umbrella term for a group of conditions that cause dry, itchy skin
The Skin You LIVE IN
Along with your hair, nails, and sweat glands, your skin is part of your integumentary system, the protective outer layer of the body.