The good thing about visceral fat is that you can lose it quickly. One study found that just four weeks of brisk walking resulted in an inch reduction in waist circumference. Reducing your waist size by about 1. Rates increase from about cases per , people in those ages 45 to 49 to more than 1, per , people in those 60 and older.

Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity is linked to at least 13 types of cancer.

Some are hormone-related: Obesity creates inflammation, which disrupts the immune system, and causes dysregulation of the hormonal system.

Obesity is also a risk factor for developing an autoimmune disease, a problem that becomes more common with age, particularly in women.

The last three years have driven home how obesity can impact the immune system. Researchers recently looked at how weight affected outcomes for some , COVID patients.

They learned that patients with a BMI of 30 to But the immune system can rebound if you bring your weight under control.

Now a wave of research is uncovering long-overlooked struggles — and newfound wisdom — about weight and body image for people in their 60s. Over half of women in their 60s say weight or body shape concerns have a negative impact on their lives.

In one large University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill survey , up to 64 percent thought about their weight every day. Half in a small Canadian study of men ages 60 to 83 said they felt unattractive because of their weight. Body dissatisfaction made 17 percent of men and 39 percent of women ages 50 to 65 uncomfortable wearing a bathing suit in public , according to a UCLA survey of over 52, U.

But in your 60s, a negative body image can have far more serious consequences: Binge-eating was a problem for up to 26 percent of women ages 55 to 83 in a recent study by Kilpela and others. Body dissatisfaction is associated with higher risk of depression, poorer sleep and less than optimal self-care.

Of course, not everyone in their 60s battles big-time body dissatisfaction, says psychiatrist Debra Safer, M. Eat less, move more. Losing weight comes down to just those four words, right? Not really.

Decades of research show that effective weight loss involves food choices as much as, if not more than, food volume. And certain lifestyle choices significantly affect success or failure.

These six steps are widely accepted as key to effective weight loss. The average American currently eats about 10 grams at breakfast and about 60 grams at dinner. That means fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, seafood, olive and avocado oils, low-fat dairy and lean meat throughout the day.

The fewer processed foods, the better. Foods in their natural form are the basis of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, which are consistently rated as the best programs for weight management, heart health and longevity.

Daily active living beats a few weekly gym sessions and sitting around the rest of the time. Aim for a total of at least minutes of movement per week — walking swimming, biking, gardening — for cardiovascular fitness, and at least two days a week of resistance training for muscular strength, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That means minimizing cookies, sodas and other sweets. Simple carbs not only fill you up with calories while providing minimal nutrition, but a higher carbohydrate intake leads to water retention, making you look, feel and weigh heavier. Eating later in the evening increases your next-day hunger, decreases your next-day calorie burn and triggers your body to store more fat, according to a recent study.

Ghrelin is the hormone created in the stomach that signals us to eat. Sleeping less than seven hours a night has been shown to elevate ghrelin, meaning you may be driven to consume more calories the next day. Discover AARP Members Only Access.

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TV for Grownups New Shows to Watch in Free Online Novel Read 'The Raging Storm'. Get Fit How to Create a Home Gym. Your BMI reflects your weight-to-height ratio. The standard ranges for BMI are: Underweight: BMI that is less than One reason is that BMI doesn't account for the fact that muscle is denser than fat.

A person who has a lot of muscle could have a much higher BMI than someone who wears the same size of clothing but has less muscle. In fact, many professional athletes fall into the "obese" category on the BMI chart simply because they have so much muscle mass.

But what does this mean for seniors? Here's a key fact: Our body composition often changes with age. Body composition is the amount of muscle and fat on your frame. An article from Tufts University notes that many seniors experience sarcopenia, or muscle loss, as they grow older.

And losing muscle may have a more significant impact on health than carrying extra weight. So lower weight isn't necessarily a good thing if it's the result of muscle loss. The Tufts University article cites studies that have found that being underweight as a senior carries more risk than being overweight.

That might seem counterintuitive, but overweight people who are older than 65 have lower mortality rates than people who are underweight or within the normal-weight range.

Some doctors call this the "obesity paradox. That means our ideal BMI often shifts upward with age. As a result, some medical experts have suggested that there should be a separate "BMI for older adults" chart that contains slightly higher numbers.

This kind of weight chart for seniors would use a range of 25 to 27 as a "normal" BMI. Your weight-loss goals will also depend on your individual health issues.

For example, the ideal weight for men over 60 with diabetes may be lower than for other men in that age group. And a weight chart for females over 50 who have not gone through menopause might be different from a weight chart for women over 60 because the hormonal shifts of menopause can trigger body composition changes.

Instead of just striving for a lower weight, it may be healthier to focus on your body composition i. Why is the location of excess fat important? People tend to store fat either above their hips mostly in their bellies or below their hips.

Fat that is stored above the hips presents a greater risk for:. Because of the increased health risks carried by belly fat, waist circumference is often an important indicator of overall health. So, instead of looking at a weight chart for seniors to determine whether you need to lose weight, you could measure your waist-to-hip ratio and discuss the results with your doctor.

Essentially, if you're focused on reaching an "ideal" weight, you may be focused on the wrong goal. Research suggests that instead of trying to lower your BMI, your focus should be on eating for your personal health and maintaining muscle tone and bone strength. That's why it's important to work with your healthcare provider to create personalized goals and plans that work for you.

You may also have to revise your ideas about dieting if you and your healthcare provider determine that losing weight will help your overall health. That's because many seniors find that weight loss gets more challenging as they get older.

While slower weight loss can be frustrating, it's also a natural part of the aging process. So, don't blame yourself if you struggle to drop extra pounds.

If a year-old woman can't lose weight, she might blame herself for not being disciplined enough. However, her body might just be responding in a way that's appropriate for her age. But that doesn't mean that losing weight over 60 is impossible.

Many people successfully lose weight at any age. You can lose weight as you get older by adapting your weight-loss strategies to your changing body.

The first step in understanding why weight loss rules can be different for seniors is to consider your basal metabolic rate. That's the number of calories you burn just staying alive i. This rate is different than the calories you burn through exercise or everyday activities.

Your body composition impacts your basal metabolic rate. That's because, in addition to its heavier weight, muscle burns more calories than fat. So a person who has a lot of muscle mass should have a higher basal metabolic rate than someone who doesn't.

However, starting in our 30s, we lose muscle mass unless we work to maintain it. Although we may not even notice this process when it starts, it has a large impact over time.

One study published in Clinical Interventions in Aging found that, on average, we lose about 30 percent of muscle strength between age 50 and And the rate of muscle loss is even faster after Consequently, losing weight after 70 will be that much harder than it is for someone who is If you continue to eat the same number of calories and do the same amount of activity as you did in your younger days, you could be at risk of gaining weight because your basal metabolic rate is slowing down.

As a result, the number of calories you should eat in a day is about calories lower with every decade you age. That's not a huge amount about the equivalent of one apple. But it does add up.

So, for example, all other factors being equal, a year-old woman should eat fewer calories in a day than a year-old woman to lose weight. Although it might seem unfair in today's more sedentary world, this process makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint.

Long ago, as we grew older and our hunting and gathering abilities slowed down, our bodies had to learn how to survive on less food. The result? Aging bodies want to hang onto any extra body weight even if we no longer need—or want—them to.

As well, for many seniors, weight loss slows down because of additional factors that affect their metabolisms, including:. The good news is that you can speed up your metabolism after 50 by making some simple lifestyle changes.

And these habits will have other positive impacts on your health. Check out these tips to see how you can "trick" your body into having a faster metabolism:. Maintaining muscle tone is one of the most important things we can do to burn more calories. For elderly people, starting or maintaining a strength-training program can help increase their basal metabolic rate.

Strength training is also good for losing the belly. Research in the Journal of Obesity confirmed that weight loss for seniors has the most significant positive impact on health if it comes from the abdominal region.

And the fat loss from strength training even if the exercises aren't specifically focused on your abs is often from this area.

Plus, strength training doesn't have to be intimidating or time-consuming. If you're not currently lifting weights or doing other strength-building exercises such as yoga , talk to your doctor about creating a plan that works for you.

The National Institute on Aging produces an excellent guide showing some simple exercises for seniors that can act as a good starting point.

Remember: You're never too old to improve your muscle tone. You can build muscle after 60 by doing strength-training exercises. In fact, it's possible to strengthen your muscles well into your 90s.

You can also enjoy the benefits of physical activity without heading to the gym. As we get older, we tend to be more sedentary throughout the day. Research in the American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism has confirmed that older people move less, on average, just doing everyday tasks.

That's unfortunate because even light amounts of activity can help your metabolism and cardiovascular health. However, in today's automated world, we have fewer opportunities for this kind of movement. So look for every chance you can to get some extra light movement.

For example, gardening, doing the dishes by hand, and putting away all of the laundry are the kinds of tasks that keep your body moving. Walking is frequently considered the best exercise for seniors to do to lose weight.

And you don't have to get the often-cited 10, steps a day to benefit. Just small increases in the number of steps you take can help. Protein can help build muscle. It also requires more energy to digest. That means you can boost your metabolism after 60 by eating lean protein with every meal to prevent muscle loss.

According to The Journals of Gerontology: Series A , seniors who eat adequate protein are less likely to lose the ability to do everyday, functional activities such as dressing and walking up stairs. It's generally preferable to get your protein from whole foods, so you don't miss out on other essential elements of a healthy diet , such as fiber.

Many people have trouble meeting their optimal protein intake through whole foods alone. A good quality protein powder can help fill in the gaps.

Some store-bought meal replacement shakes are handy when you're busy or not feeling hungry, but they are often high in sugar and unnecessary additives.

If you need extra calories and overall nutrition, higher-protein meal replacement shakes could be a good tool. But if you're looking to supplement protein without adding anything else, a high-quality protein powder is likely a better choice.

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Show references Hensrud DD, et al. The Mayo Clinic Diet. Mayo Clinic; Hensrud DD, et al. Diabetes and the pyramid.

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Preventive Services Task Force. American Cancer Society guideline for diet and physical activity for cancer prevention. American Cancer Society. Perreault L. Obesity in adults: Dietary therapy. Products and Services The Mayo Clinic Diet Online A Book: The Mayo Clinic Diet Bundle.

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