You Need Fewer Calories As You Age
You Need Fewer Calories As You Age – It seems like common sense to know that we need to consume fewer calories as we age, but many of our eating habits get set early on, and as a result, we end up consuming way more calories than we need.
According to registered dietitian Anita Curpier, our basal (resting) metabolic rate (BMR) accounts for about 50 to 70 percent of the calories we burn each day. But from the age of 40, our BMR reduces by 1 to 2 percent every decade, requiring us to reduce our daily caloric intake by 150 calories. So if you’re 60 and are still eating the same way you did when you were 40, you’re probably consuming an excess of 300 calories per day by age 60 (2 decades x 150 calories less per day per decade). This excess would add quite a bit of body fat over time, as one pound of body fat stores 3,500 calories.
These extra calories cause sarcopenic obesity, obesity caused by muscle loss due to ageing. To address this health problem, Curpier suggests we eat less as we age and exercise more. She recommends resistance training to prevent muscle loss.
Category: News
