It has often been thought that the metabolism slows down dramatically as we get older. About the time we hit middle age, we may find that we are seeing that “spare tire” and we blame it on our metabolism.
Scientists have also backed this up in many cases, but a new study seems to indicate that the metabolism stays strong. In fact, they say that until you are 60, it remains fairly stable.
Unfortunately, for those who are older than 60, it seems as if the metabolism takes a steady decline from that point forward.
You tend to have the strongest metabolism when you are a one-year-old and it continues to drop steadily until you are about 20. It then stays stable until you’re 60, at which point it continues to decline another 0.7% annually.
A person who is 90 years old would need 26% fewer calories daily compared with someone who is in their 50s. We may not have the Cadillac metabolism that we had when we were teenagers, but at least we aren’t seeing a drop until later in life.
There is an important reason why this is something to consider for anyone who is reaching middle age. We often tend to simply give up, feeling as if we are at the mercy of our bodies and metabolism as we continue to gain weight. As it turns out, that isn’t the case.
The information contained in the study could also be used to help children in many ways, including in fighting hunger and malnutrition worldwide. It will also help us on a personal level as we do our part to fight the battle of the bulge.