Put On Much? Carrying extra pounds can have consequences
Experience tells us — and research confirms — that as we age we tend to put on weight. And, as anyone knows who has tried to lose those ex- tra pounds after the age of 50, getting rid of them is no easy feat during the latter stages of life.
Causes of Weight Gain “As you get older, several things happen,” says Dr. Steven Heymsfield, a professor and Director of the Metabolism-Body Composition Laboratory at Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedi- cal Research Center.
“People tend to get slightly shorter because 20 | MATTERS OF HEALTH
they lose bone. They also tend to lose muscle. Maintaining the same weight requires fewer calo- ries, but people don’t generally eat less. And, as people get older, there is more osteoarthritis, knee and hip problems, which limit mobility. Therefore, they are less physically active.”
But those extra pounds can have serious con- sequences.
Risks of Being Overweight/Obese According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 112,000 excess deaths per year are associated with obesity. Be-
